With a projected budget deficit of more than $250 million, the City of San Diego will need to take extreme measures to close it, says City Council President Joe LaCava.
There is “a lot of work to get done,” LaCava said to his District 1 constituents during a Feb. 18 town hall meeting in the Pacific Beach/Taylor Library.
“(This is the) most challenging city budget of the new century,” LaCava said, shortly after Mayor Todd Gloria had announced nearly $5 million in budget cuts and office consolidation earlier that day.
“Our city budget is about $2 billion,” LaCava said. “Public safety is more than half of that, so we have less than the whole pie to play with. It comes as a question of the extremes.”
One of these extremes, he suggested, would be to raise revenue, but relented that a ballot measure to raise sales tax in the city had failed to last year.
The other extreme, LaCava said, would be to “just cut everything to the bone.”
LaCava said the City Council was looking at new revenue opportunities to reduce cuts.
“Here in PB, you’re always fighting for services, road repair, streetlights to be fixed, you already know the city doesn’t have the resources to meet what you need,” LaCava said. “There’s not a lot of places to really do cuts, and we’re having those tough conversations now.”
LaCava also hinted that many of the decisions would be unpopular, and encouraged community to attend the council’s public budgetary meetings to vocalize which programs should be left off the chopping block.
“We want to hear from you, which ones can be trimmed, which ones can be protected,” LaCava said. “We may not be able to give you the answers you always want to hear but constituent service is my number one priority.”
He reflected on last year’s citywide accomplishments and those focused on Pacific Beach. These included paving Ingraham Street last May, removing the bollards installed on Diamond Street and removing portable toilets in front of the PB Library. LaCava also mentioned drafting of a natural plan to maximize wetland restoration and recreational opportunities, and the fight to preserve coastal height limits.
This last one is a hot topic in Pacific Beach due to the 22-story Vela tower proposed for Turquoise Street. The project invokes exceptions to building limits afforded by a state density bonus law by including a certain number of affordable units in its development.
“Will the government step in to stop this project and close these loopholes?” one attendee queried.
While LaCava said there are not many options in place, he said the city has the power to halt permit processing for projects that prove problematic, and the Vela project was at this time “standing still.”
“(Developers) don’t get a carte blanche by giving a number of income restrictive housing units,” LaCava said. “You don’t need twenty-three stories to give just five low-income units. (Stopping processing) is the biggest hammer we have to go after this.”
LaCava called the project a “monstrosity” and stated that he and Mayor Todd Gloria were in “lockstep” in opposing it. LaCava also said the city was conducting an independent review of the project’s details.
In January, State Sen. Catherine Blakespear introduced SB92, which seeks to close loopholes in density bonus programs. In a Facebook post, LaCava wrote that closing these loopholes “will block bad actors from exploiting the law and ensure much-needed truly affordable housing is built in our city.”
LaCava said the city’s density bonus program was “the most aggressive in the state,” but acknowledged the program’s unpopular outcomes.
“What you’ll see is the city pulling back on the unintended consequences,” LaCava said.
LaCava had mentioned previously that housing would be a topic of focus for him and his staff in 2025. When asked if the city was considering other methods of bolstering the housing stock, he said updates to community plans could include increases in density allowance.
Other audience questions concerned the condition of several roadways in the area. One attendee asked whether street repair would be possible with the city’s budgetary constraints, citing the condition of a stretch of road on Grand Avenue and Mission Bay Drive.
LaCava said there was money in the budget for Mission Boulevard and repairs will be done this year.
“That one’s going to be taken care of,” LaCava said. “We’re trying to cover as much ground as possible.”
Another resident mentioned the piecemeal repaving of Riviera Drive in Crown Point, and asked whether the street would ever be paved completely.
LaCava said that street’s repairs were held up by a utility undergrounding project in the area, but these undergroundings were expected to be completed by this summer.
“Late 2025 or early 2026 is when you’ll see a more complete repair,” LaCava said.
In closing, LaCava lauded the organizational efforts of Pacific Beach residents.
“There is no community as engaged as Pacific Beach,” LaCava said. “I’ve never seen so many organizations collaborate together for the common good.”
