The San Diego City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved the 2026-27 budget, largely sparing the arts, libraries and recreation centers from a series of proposed cuts.
After hours of public testimony, the initial council motion to approve a final budget, made by District 4 Councilmember Henry Foster III, failed by a 5-4 vote. Foster then offered an alternate motion with a long list of proposed changes.
The vote is another step in a two-month process in which the city is required to have a balanced budget in place prior to the beginning of the new fiscal year, on July 1. Mayor Todd Gloria will have a chance to review the council’s budget and veto parts of the plan. The nine-member council then will have the opportunity to overturn the mayoral veto, if they can achieve a super majority.
Gloria in April proposed a $6.4 billion budget that preserved public safety spending, but called for a series of cuts to popular community services, like recreation centers and libraries, while also pausing arts funding. The attempt at austerity, to close a $118 million budget gap, proved deeply unpopular and community advocates urged the council to come up with alternatives to protect their favored programs.
In her comments during budget deliberations, District 2 Councilmember Jennifer Campbell, who represents beach areas said, “It is our responsibility to balance the budget. We need to ensure we make thoughtful decisions maintaining essential services and delivering core services with fiscal discipline.”
During public testimony, several community members spoke passionately, in an attempt to focus the council on ending funding for Automated License Plate Recognition systems. They argued that the tools, used by police, are untrustworthy and overly invasive, and thus a good target for cuts.
Addressing ALPRs, Campbell noted, “We need public safety. It’s the city’s primary responsibility to our citizens. I support keeping smart streetlights and license-plate readers. These are common-sense tools to help officers do their jobs more efficiently. It does not make sense to take away these tools that are helping solve crimes.”
Last week, District 6 Councilmember Kent Lee joined Foster and San Diego County Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe, in announcing a public-private proposal to restore nearly all of the arts and culture budget.
Under that proposal, Prebys Foundation grant funding for the arts would replace $3 million for arts and culture programs that had been set to be trimmed in the budget. The plan also includes shifting shifting $6 million from San Diego’s Transient Occupancy Tax revenues to arts, while also restoring $1.3 million in grants.
City spokesman Benjamin Cartwright noted that, once the council adopts a budget, “If it has been modified from what the mayor originally presented, it begins a mayor’s veto period for five business days.”
He added, “That can lead to some back-and-forth, especially if the council attempts to override any mayoral vetoes, so we should see this all happen soon.”
On Monday, the council voted unanimously to end paid parking at Balboa Park by the end of the year and reduce trash fees for single-family homes. Paid parking will end on Dec. 31 and the trash fees will be reduced to $38.75 starting next year for the 95-gallon bin bundle.
Those using 65- or 35-gallon bins will pay “proportionally less.”
The council first came to those decisions in closed session in May. Members agreed to compromise with opponents, rather than risk losing all possible revenue in lawsuits, which will be dropped as part of the settlement with the city.
During the council’s final budget deliberations, Charles Modica, the city’s Independent Budget Analyst, noted that the settlement ending paid parking in Balboa Park and reducing the trash fees will not have an immediate budgetary impact. But trimming those proposed revenues will add to future budget deficits, he said.
Modica testified that there has been full restoration of $1.7 million in proposed budget cuts to recreation centers, adding that another $1.3 million has been restored in proposed budget cuts to city library hours.
But he warned that existing “enormous unfunded structural needs” remain in the city’s budget, noting that will continue to pose future budgetary problems.
“There is a lot more work that needs to be done to improve the city’s long-standing financial issues,” Modica concluded. “It is crucial that the city considers how to right-size the organization in order to avoid the perpetuating cycle of annual budget cuts, and restore the public confidence that will be needed to address this as well as other issues.”
There was a great deal of back-and-forth in public debate over whether ALPR’s used by police should be kept or removed entirely from the budget. ALPRs capture images of vehicles and license plates, comparing the number to one or more databases to aid in solving crimes.
Several residents argued that ALPR funds should be diverted to fulfill community needs. One person testifying implored the council to “choose people over technology.”
Proponents of the cameras argued that the systems are a proven and invaluable police aid and a tool which should be maintained in the budget.
Following public testimony, Foster, who is also the budget committee chair, noted, “Even in a deficit, we must not lose our moral compass. This proposed budget has made progress when we look at equity. We are restoring library (and) park and rec funding, prioritizing services in underserved communities, which are critical to the success of our neighborhoods.”
Foster added, “As we move forward, the city must continue to confront its structural deficit.”
“We talk about how the budget is a statement of our values,” said Lee adding, “It’s not enough to balance our budget fiscally. We need to deliver a budget that meets the needs of residents throughout San Diego. This motion fully restores library and rec center hours across the city.”
District 9 Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera said, “I’ve been consistent about the vision for the city we’re trying to build: We need to be prioritizing San Diegans and working families, not wealthy interests that too often dictate our priorities. What matters the most to me is that people in our community feel like they have a future for themselves.”
District 7 Councilmember Raul Campillo pointed to a $2 million problem in this year’s budget, but defended the continued use of high-tech police surveillance.
“Ending the use of ALPRs doesn’t make us safer,” he concluded. “No piece of technology can stop all crime. Removing it would be inviting more crime into our neighborhood.”
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