Mayor Todd Gloria will sign the compromise $2.2 billion budget the San Diego City Council unanimously approved Tuesday night and will not use his line-item veto power to make any adjustments.
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Gloria announced his decision Wednesday but also raised some concerns about last-minute changes the council made to his proposed spending plan.
“Some of the City Council’s modifications increased spending and moved us further away from structural balance,” Gloria said in a news release.
The mayor singled out a council decision to reverse his proposed cuts to arts funding with $6 million in hotel tax money that had been earmarked for a convention center expansion.
“Decisions like diverting Measure C funds from the Convention Center may avoid difficult cuts this year, but they set us up for the same budget challenges next year,” Gloria said.
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The mayor said the budget he had proposed focused more on the city’s core priorities than the final budget the council adopted for the new fiscal year that starts July 1.
“Every taxpayer dollar must address the needs residents see and experience every day: roads and stormwater infrastructure, deferred maintenance, public safety, trash pickup and water delivery,” he said. “When we move away from those priorities, San Diegans see the consequences in their neighborhoods.”
Gloria said he decided to sign the budget despite his concerns.
“Leadership means making responsible choices even when the outcome isn’t perfect,” he said. “While I disagree with several of the council’s adjustments, I will sign this budget — with gratitude for the thousands of residents who participated, the philanthropic partners who stepped up, the city staff who worked tirelessly to prepare it, and the City Council whose partnership is necessary to keep this city moving.”
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