Budget Review Committee Discusses FY2027 Modifications and May Revision – June 5, 2026
Budget Review Committee Discusses FY2027 Modifications and May Revision – June 5, 2026
On Friday, June 5, 2026, the Budget Review Committee met to discuss the Independent Budget Analyst's (IBA) recommended modifications to the Mayor's proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget and the May revision. This was an informational item, with no formal vote taken; final budget adoption is scheduled for Tuesday, June 9, 2026. The IBA identified $6.6 million in net new resources ($4.5 million ongoing, $2.1 million one-time) and recommended $2.9 million in expenditures, leaving $2.6 million ongoing and $1.1 million one-time unallocated. The structural deficit remains at $15.3 million, with projections of a $30 million deficit in FY2028.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Josh Bohannon (Father Joe's Villages): Thanked the council for partial day center funding, urged full funding ($425,000) for the remainder of the year as Father Joe's takes over operations.
- Guthard Leonard: Shared personal story of a family member injured in a bike crash, asked council to prioritize safe streets.
- Joy Sanyata: Asked to hold off on $200,000 for police practices commission; supported IBA and city auditor funding; thanked equity work.
- Simon Andrews and others (San Diego River Park Foundation): Urged restoration of West Valley River Crossing funding using restricted Mission Valley DIF funds, calling it a safety and climate action priority.
- Max Schmidt: Opposed $13.5 million net increase, called for smaller budget and less spending; later gave non-agenda comment on occult themes.
- Multiple speakers (Arya Grossman, Ian Embry, Madeline Williams, Jill Green, Jen Boynton, Jason B., Laura Keenan, etc.): Strongly urged funding the Multimodal Team using RMRA funds, citing traffic deaths (e.g., 2024 traffic deaths 3x homicides, personal tragedies). Supported partial restoration via reduced slurry seal.
- Caitlin Kuroji, Patrick Stewart, Marcia, Kate, Kim Phillips: Supported full restoration of arts and culture funding, praised partial restoration but asked for no caps on grants, and emphasized mental health/community value.
- Alan Dolgergoff: Asked to restore all 20 hours cut from rec centers, warned of lost revenue.
- Katherine Rhodes: Criticized lack of rules committee hearing on TOT reform ballot measures that could solve structural deficit.
- Jared Wilson (POA): Requested restoration of two police sergeants (sex crimes and graffiti/gangs) and four officer positions.
- Blair Beekman: Supported Neil Good Day Center services, asked for more days; opposed new ALPRs.
- Judy Strang, Megan, others: Supported library and rec center hours, restrooms, and street lights.
- Carmen, Liliana (Youth Will): Thanked six council members for supporting Office of Child and Youth Success, urged the remaining three to join.
Discussion Items
- IBA Presentation (Charles Monica, Noah Fleischmann, Gillian Andalina, Jordan Moore): Walked through the May revision ($13.5M restorations), IBA report 26-15. Key recommendations:
- Arts and Culture: Restore up to $6 million using Measure C convention center funds offset by $3M from County and $3M from Previce Foundation (announced that morning). Recommend no caps on grants.
- Homelessness: Alternative package reducing 16th & Newton shelter by 50 beds (saving $1.6M), closing city-funded lighthouse shelter ($980K savings), using state grant for family reunification ($646K), and providing wind-down funding for Neil Good Day Center.
- Office of Labor Standards: Transfer from City Treasurer to City Attorney, restoring one FTE, net zero GF impact.
- Expenditure modifications (majority-supported): $900K CPPS, $336K child and youth success coordinator, $263K city auditor, $215K filming manager, $165K IBA staffing, $21K deputy city clerk, $20K ethics commission software. One-time: $750K small business enhancement, $200K police practices investigation system, $30K ethics software.
- Identified resources: Ongoing – $319K net revenue reduction, $3.4M expenditure savings, $1.5M technical corrections. One-time – $2.1M total.
- Unfunded priorities (4 council members): $2.9M full library/rec center hours restoration, $592K police front-counter staffing, $450K arts/community festival grants, $222K Storage Connect security, $194K COO. Also presented potential resource options (e.g., cancel ALPR contract for $2M, reduce nonprofit event discount).
- Structural concerns: $15.3M deficit persists; $95.4M if reserves included. Trash fee settlement will reduce revenues $10.8M in FY28 and ongoing; Balboa Park parking settlement will reduce $9.4M from FY28. Infrastructure backlog $7.8B.
- Councilmember Questions/Comments:
- Pro Tem Lee: Supported IBA recommendations, especially CPPS as ongoing. Highlighted arts funding with Previce Foundation match. Asked about multimodal team funding via RMRA – Bethany Bizak (CFO) confirmed 14 FTEs ($2.6M) could be fully funded by reducing 20 slurry seal miles, or half-funded with 10 miles. Lee stressed need to balance paving and safety.
- Council President LaCava: Supported IBA recommendations (Tables 1 & 2). Noted stormwater maintenance funding as critical (especially El Niño). Supported using RMRA for half multimodal team. Mentioned exploring rec center fund to restore hours without GF impact.
- Councilmember Campbell: Emphasized public safety (police, fire, lifeguards). Opposed cutting ALPRs – cited solving child kidnapping, hit-and-runs. Supported arts funding but not at expense of safety. Asked for restoration of storm channel maintenance ($430K) and DSD code enforcement.
- Councilmember Campillo: Thanked IBA. Questioned one-time vs ongoing resources – IBA confirmed $2M one-time used. Structural deficit of $15.3M discussed. Asked about golf fund transfer sustainability – Finance stated $14M surplus per year can support ongoing transfer. Asked about multimodal team – Bethany Bizak noted graffiti abatement reduction ($600K) is GF, could be repurposed. Also noted facility maintenance cuts ($1.48M) not restored despite hours restoration, leading to reactive maintenance.
- Councilmember Whitburn: Supported arts funding but urged one-time use of Measure C this year only. Supported multimodal team via RMRA. Supported West Valley River Crossing via DIF. Suggested using excess equity for future deficits, and reducing nonprofit event discount to 25% (except out-of-town) to generate funds.
- Councilmember Von Wilpert: Thanked IBA. Supported arts, OLSE transfer, front-counter police staffing. Chief Logan requested $841K and 1 FTE for storm channel clearing due to forecast El Niño. Supported wildfire helicopter program. Emphasized ALPR public safety value – gave multiple examples (kidnapping, hit-and-run, child molestation). Questioned cost to cancel ALPR contract – IBA said full $2M only if entire Ubiquiti contract canceled.
- Councilmember Ilo Rivera: Thanked IBA and colleagues for arts solution. Supported homeless modifications. Emphasized Office of Child and Youth Success. Criticized use of Islamic Center shooting to score political points. Called for better resourcing city.
- Chair Foster: Stressed need to prioritize communities that have been underserved. Criticized graffiti abatement cuts (halved May 15) which disproportionately affect Districts 4,8,9. Rejected cap on arts grants. Framed Tuesday decisions as choice between ALPRs and parks/libraries. Noted structural deficit will grow.
Key Outcomes
- No vote was taken; the informational discussion will inform final budget adoption on June 9, 2026.
- Councilmembers expressed general support for the IBA's recommended modifications, including arts funding ($6M with private match), homelessness rebalancing, OLSE transfer, and majority-supported program restorations.
- Several members supported using RMRA funds to restore the Multimodal Team (full or half) and using Mission Valley DIF for West Valley River Crossing.
- The council will need to decide on $2.6M in ongoing and $1.1M in one-time unallocated resources, with many advocating for library/rec center hours, stormwater maintenance, and public safety staffing.
- Chair Foster announced that graffiti abatement funding has been halted; he will bring an information item to the June 17 budget committee.
- The structural deficit and long-term fiscal challenges (trash fee settlement, Balboa Park parking, infrastructure backlog) remain unresolved and will require future revenue measures.
Meeting Transcript
We're going to get started. We just need a couple more minutes waiting on a staff member from the IBA's office. Great. Thank you. Okay, so morning, and welcome to the budget review committee of June 5th, 2026. Our committee liaison Sarah Jordan will go over instructions for today's meeting. Thank you, Chair Foster. While members of the public are 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 virtual queue closes. This 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 city can the city council is able to manage and conduct city business. We appreciate the public's cooperation. Chair Foster. I will now call the budget review committee meeting of Friday, June 5th, 2026 to order. Sarah, please call the role. Vice Chair, Council President Lakava. Committee member Campbell. Here. Committee member Whitburn. Here. Committee member Von Wilpert. Council President Pro Tem Lee. Here. Committee member Campio. Here. Committee member Moreno. Committee member Ilo Rivera. And Chair, Committee Member Foster. Also attending the meeting today is Charles Monica from the Independent Budget Analysts Office. Assistant City Attorney, Leslie Fitzgerald, Chief Financial Officer, Rolanda Charvel, and Coda Zeizer from the Office of the Mayor of Todd Gloria. If you're in person, please complete a speaker slip located at the entrance of chambers and place it on the top of the box indicated at the speaker's lecture and at the front of the room. Please do so in a timely manner to ensure proper meeting management. Participate by telephone, you may dial 1669-2545252, inputting webinar ID 160-332-690 pound. This information is also available on the agenda and it 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 delay. Please participate via the audio on your phone and mute your TV and or computer when it is your turn to speak. If you wish to speak to a particular item, please wait for that item to be called and then raise your hand to speak by tapping the raise your hand icon, or if you're calling participant by pressing star nine on your phone. If you raise your hand during a non-comment period, your hand will be lowered, Chair. Thank you, Sarah, for reviewing those instructions for the benefit of the public. A quorum is now present. As a note to the public, we will be hearing non-agenda public comment at the end of the meeting today. We will now move to committee members, mayoral staff, city attorney, and independent budget analysts for any comments. Hearing none, we have one item on the agenda today. This is an informational item, so no motion is necessary. Sarah, please introduce item one. Thank you, Chair Foster. Information item number one is the informational discussion of recommended City Council modifications to the mayor's proposed fiscal year 2027 budget and review of the May revision. And again, if you're watching on City TV or the live stream online and you'd like to dial in to speak, please call 1669-2545252, inputting webinar ID 160 332 6900 pound. Chair. Staff, please introduce yourselves for the record and let us know how much time you need for your presentation and feel free to begin.
openpublica.com