Mayor Todd Gloria announced $5.3 million in budget cuts and an immediate elimination of 31 city hall executive positions Tuesday, during a conference to address San Diego’s $252.2 million deficit.
As a part of the eliminated positions, Gloria said he will take over as city manager and the city’s executive team will answer directly to his office.
One of the positions slashed was the city’s Chief Operating Officer, a position held by Eric Dargan since 2022.
Multiple departments will be consolidated into the mayor’s office in addition to the COO, including the Department of Government Affairs and the Office of Boards and Commissions.
Gloria said these consolidations will save around $925,000.
“The city is required to balance its budget, it’s not optional, so we have to make tough choices,” Gloria said during the announcement.
Certain departments will have to shoulder the load of work previously done by those whose positions were eliminated, Gloria said.
Members of the Sustainability and Mobility Department will be transferred to the Transportation Department, and the Department of Race and Equity will answer to Human Resources.
The Library Department will absorb the Office of Child and Youth Success, and the Department of Cultural Affairs will become a division of the Economic Development Department.
Nearly half of the eliminated positions were vacant, Gloria said, and the 16 unclassified positions that were cut will save the city around $2.8 million.
Gloria said that police, fire and paramedics remain a top priority for the city.
“The commitment is public safety, homelessness, housing, and infrastructure,” he said.
Despite the cuts, Gloria said he aims to increase investments in these services, which will require cuts in other areas.
“San Diego will not move backward,” he said. “We will also not ignore reality and hope that things improve on their own.”
This announcement came after Measure E, a one-cent sales tax measure that could have shored up the impending deficit, narrowly failed in November.
Gloria said more cuts will “surely come” before the final budget is adopted in June.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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