FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, April 15, 2021

CONTACT:
MayorPress@sandiego.gov

SAN DIEGO Mayor Todd Gloria is getting San Diego back on track with his first budget proposal, which he announced today, with important investments that will jumpstart the citys economy and set the City on a path for an equitable recovery.

My Back to Work SD budget prioritizes an equitable recovery from the impacts of the pandemic while setting the foundation of a brighter future for all of us, Mayor Gloria said. Despite a structural budget deficit inherited from the previous administration, we took a pragmatic approach to balancing this budget while protecting core services and investing in the people who have suffered the most throughout this past year.

Mayor Glorias proposed budget centers on the Back to Work SD plan he developed during his campaign that serves as a framework to help San Diegans devastated by COVID-19 and equip them for a brighter future. The budget invests in workers, minimizes service level reductions and harnesses savings from operational efficiencies.

Mayor Glorias budget proposal includes:

Getting San Diegans Back to Work

• $10 million in nonprofit and small business loans in hard-hit industries and owned by people of color
• The creation of a concierge team to support small businesses
• $750,000 to expand and grow the small business enhancement program to include microgrants
• $900,000 in discretionary grants for City Councilmembers to provide support to nonprofits and small businesses in each of their districts
• $1 million investment in the Connect2Careers workforce development program to bolster youth employment
• $10.2 million to support the Convention Center to maintain good-paying jobs and keep San Diego poised for its tourism economy to rebound

Protecting core services and jobs through fiscal responsibility

• $10 million to build quality, complete sexy streets in communities of concern, with another $30 million planned to come from debt service
• Creation of new Compliance Department, establishing an office dedicated to labor standards enforcement
• Reorganizing the Citys executive team to save $784,000 annually
• Investing $22.1 million in the Citys workforce to make their salaries more competitive with other local agencies
• Two additional fire academies to maintain constant staffing and reduce overtime
• Sets the city on path to funding stormwater needs
• Begins the five-year process to end the Citys structural budget deficit

Major investments to combat homelessness

• Over $10 million for immediate actions to serve those in crisis on our streets, and funding to support the new Homelessness Strategies Department to ensure the City is setup to be successful in its efforts to end homelessness

Reimagining policing

• Across the board decreases to San Diego Police Department overtime, netting a savings of more than $4 million annually
• Reinvesting those savings through the implementation of the new independent Commission on Police Practices
• Continued funding for the No Shots Fired gang prevention program and additional community and youth-focused diversion programming

Equipping San Diegans for a better tomorrow

• Creating a new Summer for All of Us program to help children and their families take part in activities at libraries and recreation centers in communities of concern
• Adjusting library hours to a Tuesday through Saturday schedule as we reopen to save $6.9 million, while investing $1.25 million in e-materials and virtual hours in communities of concern
• $500,000 to enhance summer library youth programming
• Continuation and expansion of the SDAccess4All initiative that aims to increase internet and technology access

Tackling climate change

• Updates to the Climate Action Plan
• Investing $5 million into the new Climate Equity Fund
• Creating the Citys Mobility Action Plan
• Building the first stage of the Pure Water recycling program estimated

The City had faced an expected budget deficit for the upcoming fiscal year of $124 million a figure that exceeds the entire Parks and Recreation Department annual budget. Last month, thanks to the leadership of Senators Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla as well as Congressmembers Scott Peters, Juan Vargas, Mike Levin and Sara Jacobs, the President signed the American Rescue Plan into law, allocating approximately $306 million in federal relief to the City of San Diego that Mayor Gloria proposed to use to strengthen the local economy and stabilize City finances. The Mayors budget sets the City on a path toward structurally balancing its City finances over the next five years.

The $4.6 billion budget proposal recommends spending levels for City operations and capital projects for Fiscal Year 2022, which runs from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022. The final budget will be adopted in June following several weeks of review by the public and the City Council. Mayor Gloria will formally present the budget proposal to the City Council at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the City Council chambers.

The full budget proposal can be found at www.sandiego.gov/finance/proposed.

What others are saying about Mayor Glorias proposed budget:

Sen. Alex Padilla (CA):
I proudly supported the American Rescue Plan because it provides the resources our cities need as we begin the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal support for local programs and projects will be key to a swift and equitable recovery. Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, San Diego can make strategic investments to build back stronger.

Rep. Scott Peters (CA-52):
Mayor Glorias budget proposal looks to the future without losing sight of the issues in San Diego that need to be addressed today. I applaud the Mayors priorities, including investments in our hard-hit small businesses and nonprofits, strategies to end homelessness, the Citys climate change plan, and services to help San Diegans get to work and create opportunities for children and families. I look forward to seeing how this proposal makes a profound difference in San Diegans lives for years to come.

Rep. Juan Vargas (CA-51):
"Im pleased to be working Mayor Todd Gloria, who is fighting for our citys underserved communities by investing American Rescue Plan funding in local infrastructure and programs with long-term solutions. I am also proud of the work that we were able to do in Congress to ensure that this funding is available for the City of San Diego and communities in my district.

Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49):
This pandemic has been challenging for all San Diegans, but thanks to Mayor Glorias leadership, our future looks brighter than ever. With smart investments to protect essential services and put San Diegans back to work, we can look forward to building a stronger San Diego for everyone. I was proud to help deliver federal resources in the American Rescue Plan to jumpstart San Diegos recovery, and I look forward to building on that progress with Mayor Gloria.

Rep. Sara Jacobs (CA-53):
I am grateful that the American Rescue Plan has given San Diego and cities across the country the flexibility to be forward-looking and make key investments in our communities hardest hit by this pandemic and I am glad to see Mayor Glorias proposed budget prioritizes an equitable recovery for all San Diegans. We cant go back to way things were before COVID-19; we have to rebuild an economy and a city that works for everyone.

San Diego City Council President Dr. Jennifer Campbell:
The past year has taken a heavy toll on workers and families throughout our city while deeply impacting our city revenues. As we move through the budget cycle, I will be prioritizing full economic and health recovery for all San Diegans and maintaining needed city services. I look forward to working with Mayor Gloria and my Council colleagues as we craft this year's budget.

San Diego City Council Budget Committee Chair Chris Cate:
We need to be fiscally prudent and focus on core city services for our residents. Every dollar spent on non-core essential services will impact those basic services relied upon by our communities and provided by City employees. I look forward to working with everyone to build a budget that will be reflective of all San Diegans.

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