Latest news with #MeasureE
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
San Jose firefighters press city leaders to prioritize public safety amid $32M deficit
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Nestled in San Jose's Communications Hill neighborhood is the shuttered Fire Station 33. The station, which opened in 2007, was closed four years later due to a city budget crisis. On Wednesday, first responders used it as a backdrop to deliver a clear message to city leaders. What they're saying "We're here today to talk about service cuts and what this actually looks like to our city. Having to close fire stations has an impact on our community and the constituents that we serve, and we're deeply concerned," said Jerry May, a fire department captain and president of San Jose Fire Fighters Local 230. Members of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Local 21 joined union firefighters in urging city leadership to prioritize fire protection, especially in light of the recent natural disaster in Los Angeles. "We're here to tell you today that your public safety is in jeopardy with closed fire stations," said May. "Your public safety is in jeopardy when you don't have enough firefighters. And time and time again we've continued to raise the red flag." Last month, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan stressed the need for a laser focus on efficiency to address a $32 million budget gap. "Rather than having Groundhog Day every year, we need to simply embrace reality," Mahan stated during a February news conference. For Mahan, that reality involved changing how Measure E funds for the care of the city's approximately 6,300 unhoused residents are allocated. This adjustment helped bridge part of the shortfall, but the remainder will depend on the city manager's office's strategies to avoid painful cuts in city services. A hiring freeze is currently in place, and there are concerns that layoffs could eventually be considered. Firefighters have sounded the alarm that public safety could be compromised if future plans include a reduction in their rank. "We need to focus on staffing our fire department and the growing need for public safety for our residents," said Ryan Gilbert, a fire union member. Dig deeper An unidentified SJFD battalion chief added, "We 0.6 firefighters for every 1,000 residents. By comparison, the city of San Francisco has nearly two firefighters for every 1,000 residents. Again, these staffing levels are an issue for us." What's next Mahan told KTVU, "I will not support any cuts to our fire department's current service can close our small remaining deficit by getting creative — not cutting services that save lives." The city manager's office will release a memo in May detailing spending options and the choices available to the mayor. Jesse Gary is a reporter based in the station's South Bay bureau. Follow him on Instagram @jessegontv and on Facebook @JesseKTVU. Jesse Gary is a reporter based in the station's South Bay bureau. Follow him on the Instagram platform, @jessegontv and on Facebook, @JesseKTVU. The Source San Jose Fire Fighters Local 230, Mayor Matt Mahan, previous KTVU reporting
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Paid parking could soon be implemented at Balboa Park, Mission Bay
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Paid parking could soon be coming to lots in Balboa Park and around Mission Bay. The city of San Diego is considering a proposal to tack fees on certain lots as part of a strategy to curb demand in some of the parks' more popular lots, where it is near impossible to find a parking spot during the busiest times of year. Details on what exactly these parking changes could look like have yet to be ironed out. However, Rachel Laing, a spokesperson for Mayor Todd Gloria, confirmed to FOX 5/KUSI the city is exploring a few options like hourly rates, a location-based system and a hybrid of the two. San Diego cannabis could get more expensive as city considers tax hike Over the next few weeks, San Diego officials plan to hold meetings with Balboa Park institutions and neighborhood groups to draft a final parking management proposal for the destination to bring before the city council later this year. A plan to bring similar changes to Mission Bay Park is in even earlier stages of development and will likely take more time to implement, as the California Coastal Commission would also need to sign off on any updates. 'We are just starting the engagement process with folks in and around the park to determine the best strategy for implementing paid parking and have no firm answers for how it will ultimately be structured,' Liang said. 'It is a long way off still.' San Diego officials first commissioned a study of parking demand at both parks last July, the findings of which were presented to the city's Balboa Park Committee on Thursday. The study found Balboa Park's parking lots had an average occupancy of about 69% on weekends, reaching upwards of 85% during peak periods of the year. For core areas, like the lots behind the Organ Pavilion and Spanish Village, utilization hit 98% during this same time. Mission Bay Park similarly recorded high occupancy. On weekends, the study found the park's lots were 73% on average — 88% during peak periods. In Mission Beach, this demand was even more acute, recording 84% occupancy on off-peak weekends and 100% on peak weekends. City leaders have pitched using paid parking to rein in this demand before, but each attempt ultimately buckled under the pressure from community backlash. San Diego water rates are about to go up despite water surplus This time around, the parking fee discussion will likely carry even more weight as city leaders are hunting for new long-term sources of revenue that can help change the tide on budget imbalances expected in the coming years. Although Laing noted the current $258 million deficit did not play a role in the city's decision to pursue parking management in Balboa and Mission Bay parks, as it was already in the works prior to the current situation taking shape following the failure of Measure E. It is unknown at this time if any revenue from a potential parking charge for Balboa Park or Mission Bay is going to be factored into Gloria's proposed budget, which he is expected to bring before the city council in April. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
San Diego's infrastructure deficit to top $6.5B in five years, budget analyst says
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — San Diego is projected to reach a $6.5 billion infrastructure deficit over the next five years, the city's independent budget analyst said in a report released on Thursday. The deficit, which describes the shortfall between spending on infrastructure and the estimated cost of work needed to maintain it, is a predicament that is likely to weigh heavy on city leaders as they work to approve a budget for the next fiscal year. The report was released ahead of Monday's city council meeting where Mayor Todd Gloria's office is set to present a five-year planning outlook on capital infrastructure projects. San Diego mayor announces budget cuts to address $258M deficit Per the report, the city will only have about $5.36 billion in funding over the next five years to put towards infrastructure needs. Meanwhile, the cost to meet these needs is expected to balloon to $11.87 billion, primarily from stormwater, fire department and lifeguard projects. Without any new sources of revenue, the budget analyst says the city's backlog of unaddressed maintenance projects will continue to build up, leading to continued infrastructure deterioration that will precipitate more costly rehabilitations and improvements in the long term. 'While having a clear and executable capital plan is essential, it must be supported by sufficient resources and revenue streams to be effectively implemented,' the report reads. 'A comprehensive financing strategy, including identification of new revenue sources, remains critical to closing the growing capital funding gap and ensuring the City can meet its long-term infrastructure needs,' it continues. According to the budget analyst, a growing need for assets in the city's general fund — the unrestricted pool of money used to finance most city services — is the main driver of the rising deficit, even for departments that have a dedicated, restricted funding source. Among those in this boat is the city's Stormwater Department, which receives its resources through a patchwork of sources encompassing everything from loans and bonds pulled from the general fund to revenue collected through property owners' water bills. The budget analyst estimates stormwater needs will top more than $4.1 billion, nearly double what it was projected to be in the department's last outlook due to cost increases in existing projects and the need to replace additional infrastructure that is 'now beyond its useful life.' San Diego asking for public input as it finalizes new trash collection fees Of these projects, the city will only be able to cover about $394.4 million over the next five years at current funding levels, according to the report. The budget analyst recommends San Diego leaders revisit a stormwater-specific property tax or a general sales tax increase similar to the failed Measure E to support the capital infrastructure shortfall, as well as future budget deficits facing the city. A general obligation bond program, which is a kind of municipal bond repaid through property taxes, could also be a tool the city uses to close the $6.51 billion backlog of deferred infrastructure projects, according to the budget analyst. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
San Diego faces $258M budget deficit, seeks public input
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The City of San Diego is facing a quarter of a billion dollar budget deficit, and time is ticking to make cuts. The final $258 million budget must be approved by June 15. The Office of the Independent Budget Analyst hosted a community forum in Mission Valley Saturday morning to talk with residents about the shortfall, how the city got here, and what comes next. Charles Modica, the City's Independent Budget Analyst (IBA), said cuts are necessary. MTS considering fare increase, tax measure as 'budget crisis' looms He said the city has, for decades, lacked the resources it needs to maintain the city's needs. He also said the sales and hotel tax rates are lower than comparable cities and the city hasn't charged for trash collection, while the city's infrastructure and maintenance has been deferred for decades. During the last election, Measure E did not pass, it's a tax measure that city leaders had pushed for. According to Modica, Measure E would have closed the budget gap and provided $350 million per year in ongoing revenue. He said he's concerned with the options the city has presented so far. 'I'm troubled by what we've seen so far today from the council, which is a focus on raising more money. They appear to be focused on just more taxes, more fees,' Krueger added. San Diego begins looking at potential cuts to close $258M budget deficit The city recently increased parking meter rates, as much as double in most areas. That is expected to bring in $9 million per year. But the city is now considering more parking changes, including increasing the areas for paid beach parking, and extending parking meter hours. These meetings allow for city residents to have more time to talk directly with the IBA and get their questions answered directly – instead of having usually one minute to talk, without getting an answer, at a city council meeting during public comment. A representative from the mayor's office was at Saturday's meeting. 'What is worse, paying $5 to park at the beach, or having your library budget cut in half? They are both bad,' Modica said during Saturday's community meeting. The final forum is scheduled for: Thursday, February 20, 6-8 p.m. Mira Mesa Senior Center 8460 Mira Mesa Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92126 Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Parking meter fees set to increase in San Diego: Here's how much
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Starting next month, San Diegans will need to shell out a little more per hour to park in spaces with a city-operated meter. On Monday, the San Diego City Council voted 8-1 to approve a hike to the rate charged at parking meters in the city as a means to help close the projected $260 million budget deficit heading into the next fiscal year. The increase doubles the cost for drivers to park in metered spaces — for most, this will change fees from $1.25 per hour to $2.50 per hour. The new rates are set to go into effect on Feb. 1. Southeast Disaster Relief team holds community update one year after historic flooding San Diego officials have been discussing upping parking meter fees as a potential avenue for increasing revenue to aid in the city's budget woes since the one-cent sales tax measure, Measure E, failed to pass during last year's election. The tax increase would have brought in an estimated $360 million to $400 million annually for the city, effectively wiping out the current structural deficit. Now, San Diego leaders are taking a more piecemeal approach to find ways to make up the difference with the hopes of avoiding steep cuts to essential city services. 'If we do not take action, we are looking at cutting employees,' Councilmember Henry Foster III, who brought forward the parking meter fee action, said during Monday's council meeting. 'We owe it not only to our employees, but also to the public, in which they are the ones that provide the services that improve the quality of life of our residents.' The parking fee increase, the city's independent budget analyst says, will boost city funds by an additional $4 million during the remainder of the current fiscal year and $10 million in each year moving forward. Typically, a portion of the revenue from parking meters goes to parking districts to use on projects improving walkways and crosswalks, among other things. The remainder goes towards the city's general fund. Additional revenue may come from further policy changes Mayor Todd Gloria's office is expected to propose in the coming months. This may look like extensions to meter hours or implementation of pricing based on demand. However, the parking meter fee increase — and any other changes — will likely not impact every part of San Diego evenly, given that the vast majority of metered spaces operated by the city are concentrated in only a handful of neighborhoods. Overnight MTS bus service to San Ysidro now available According to city staff, nearly 90% of all of the city's metered parking spaces are either in downtown or uptown neighborhoods, like North Park and Hillcrest. Councilmember Vivian Moreno, who was the sole vote against the fee increase, also raised concern about the disproportionate impact upping the cost of parking will have on low-income communities in her district and others in the city. 'With this proposal, we're telling people in District 8 that when they plan to take a trip to downtown or Pacific Beach with their family, that we now expect them to pay twice as much to park their car,' she said. 'That alone can make them rethink that trip.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
