Special Budget Review Committee Meeting: Personnel & Police Practices Budget Review - May 29, 2026
Special Budget Review Committee Meeting: Personnel & Police Practices Budget Review - May 29, 2026
The San Diego City Council's Budget Review Committee held a special meeting on May 29, 2026, to hear the remaining department presentations for the fiscal year 2027 budget process. The meeting covered the Personnel Department, the Commission on Police Practices, and an opportunity for public comment on other departments not formally presented. No motions were required as the items were informational.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Personnel (Subitem Q): Corrine Wilson (MEA) expressed strong support for the Personnel Department, praising its work but noting it has been systematically understaffed. She urged adequate staffing to implement the pay equity study. Henry (virtual) criticized the legality of prior meetings and raised concerns about biometric data sharing with BlackRock and Vanguard. Andrew Hollingworth (Peninsula Community Planning Board) opposed the FY27 budget, citing unsustainable wage increases in union contracts, and recommended no tax/fee increases.
- Commission on Police Practices (Subitem R): Max Schmidt opposed the $200,000 request for a case management system, alleging Freemasonry influence in the police force. Joy Sanyata supported the commission, focusing on trust and integration readiness. Samantha Castranovo opposed using the City Attorney's Office, citing a conflict of interest, and called for officers to carry commission business cards. Blair Beekman expressed hope for the commission's role as a mediator. Virtual speakers criticized insufficient authority and enforcement.
- Additional Department Review (Subitem S): Joyce Sanyata praised the City Auditor and opposed cuts, noting cost savings. Blair Beekman suggested city officials take a pay cut to set an example. A virtual speaker raised concerns about data integration and privacy.
Discussion Items
- Personnel Department: Director David Dallaguer highlighted accomplishments: reduced time-to-hire by 94 days in pilot departments, online transfer request forms, and centralized class specifications. However, the FY27 proposed budget includes reductions: elimination of 3 outstation positions (critical for hiring process improvements) and an $18,000 cut to promotional advertising (diminishing recruitment visibility). The IBA noted the department's role in supporting staff reductions and equity implications, including slower hiring times and reduced training capacity. Councilmember Whitburn asked about workload shifts during reductions; Council President Lukava clarified that unclassified-to-classified conversions require open competition. Chair Foster later inquired about the IT system for police practices and why the department could not use existing IA software.
- Commission on Police Practices: Executive Director Roger Smith reported on progress: 100 days in role, review of 45+ cases, community listening sessions, and need for a complaint management system ($200,000). The IBA suggested salary savings could cover the cost. Council President McConnell asked about the meet-and-confer process for operating procedures, which Smith stated is in the final language stage, with council presentation expected by end of June. Chair Foster pressed for details on the delay, clarifying that the interim operating procedures are being discussed, not the implementation ordinance. The City Attorney confirmed that closed session and meet-and-confer with unions remain.
Key Outcomes
- No formal votes or motions were taken, as the hearing was informational.
- The committee acknowledged the Personnel Department's proactive efforts to support impacted staff and noted the equity concerns from proposed cuts.
- The $200,000 request for the Commission on Police Practices' information management system is likely to be funded through salary savings, as indicated by the IBA.
- The Commission on Police Practices will return to the City Council in closed session in June to advance the meet-and-confer process on permanent operating procedures.
- The next budget review committee meeting is scheduled for June 5, 2026, at 9 a.m.
Meeting Transcript
We're gonna we're gonna get started, guys. Alrighty, good afternoon, and welcome to the special budget review committee uh meeting of May twenty-ninth, twenty twenty-six. Before we go over instructions, I just want to take a moment and thank uh vice chair, uh, council president Locava and my colleagues for keeping the budget review committee meetings going while I was at Hampton University for my son's graduation. So thank you for the robust uh discussions uh thus far. And thank you for your attendance today to complete the last of the department presentations for the fiscal year twenty twenty-seven budget process, as it is important for the council and the public to provide feedback regarding the mayor's proposed budget. With that, I will turn things over to our committee liaison, Natalie Kessler, to go over instructions for today's meeting. Thank you, Chair. This special budget review committee will convene to hear the remaining departments trailed from the budget review committee hearings held from May fourth, twenty twenty-six through Friday, May eighth, twenty twenty-six. The public may comment on any departments that were not listed for a formal presentation throughout the budget review committee hearings during sub item S additional department review. This information and instruction is also available on the budget review committee agenda on the city's webpage. While the public is allowed to attend the meetings in person, this meeting is being televised and live streamed on the city's website, and council administration will continue to make arrangements for the public to comment using the Zoom webinar platform. Additionally, members of the public who wish to provide virtual testimony must enter the virtual queue by raising their hand before the queue closes. The queue will close when the last virtual speaker finishes speaking or five minutes after in-person testimony ends, whichever occurs first. This will allow for better meeting management between the two platforms and ensure the council is able to manage and conduct city business. We appreciate the public's cooperation. Chair. I will now call the special budget review committee meeting of Friday, May 29th, 2026 to order. Natalie, please call the role. Vice Chair Council President Lakaba. Committee member Campbell here, Committee Member Whitburn. Here. Committee member Von Wilbert. Council President Pro Tem Lee. Here. Committee member Campillo. Committee member Moreno. Present. Committee member Ila Rivera. And Chair Committee Member Foster? Here. Also attending the meeting today, Charles Modica from the Independent Budget Analysts Office, Assistant City Attorney Michelle Garland from the City Attorney's Office, Chief Financial Officer Rolando Charbell, and Director of Policy for Mayor Todd Gloria, Matt Yeah. If you're in person, please complete a speaker slip located at the entrance of chambers and place it on top of the box indicated at the speaker's lecture at the front of the room. Please do so in a timely manner to ensure proper meeting management. In person testimony will conclude before virtual testimony begins. And if you need to participate by phone, please dial 1669 2545252. The webinar ID is 160 332 6900 pound. This information is also available on the agenda and will appear on the screen during the public comment period for each agenda item. Please note that if you're watching via City TV 24 or online, there may be a delay. So participate via the audio on your phone and mute your TV or computer when it is your turn to speak. If you wish to speak on a particular sub-item, wait for that sub-item to be called and then raise your hand to speak by tapping the raise your hand icon. Or if you're a call-in participant, press star and I on your phone. If you raise your hand during a non-comment period, your hand will be lowered. Chair. Thank you, Natalie, for reviewing those instructions for the benefit of the public. A quorum is now present. We will now move to committee members, mayoral staff, city attorney, and independent budget analysts for any comments. Hearing none, we will now take up our information agenda. As a reminder, these are informational items only during our budget review committee hearings, so no motions are required. As Natalie mentioned, public comment will be heard after each sub item. After each department's presentation, council members will have an opportunity to ask staff questions at the conclusion of the sub item and after public comment, council members will have the opportunity to provide concluding remarks.
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