San Diego Adopts Budget with Restored Services, but Structural Deficit Looms
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San Diego's City Council voted 7-2 on June 9th to adopt the fiscal year 2027 budget, restoring library, recreation center, and community program funding that had faced deep cuts during a projected shortfall of $118 to $146 million. Councilmembers Jennifer Campbell and Vivian Moreno dissented.
The restoration came after residents packed council chambers during budget hearings, but the underlying fiscal challenges remain. The city carries a structural deficit of approximately $15.3 million projected to grow to around $30 million next year, stemming in part from a settlement requiring reduced trash fees and the loss of parking revenue at Balboa Park — ongoing revenue pressures rather than one-time costs.
One of the more contentious debates involved a $2 million contract for automated license plate readers. Police Chief Scott Wahl defended the ALPR program as one of the department's most vital tools given ongoing staffing shortages, and the council ultimately preserved the funding while finding alternative ways to restore community services.
At the county level, the Board of Supervisors deadlocked 2-2 on a transparency measure that would have required public notices, advance agendas, recordings, and public access to materials for their closed-door ad-hoc subcommittees. Supervisors Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond voted in favor; Paloma Aguirre and Monica Montgomery Steppe voted against. The measure returns to the board on June 25th, and the absence of a fifth supervisor suggests the deciding vote remains outstanding. By contrast, the board unanimously declared June as Pride Month for San Diego County, commending San Diego Pride, the LGBT Community Center, and other LGBTQ+-serving organizations.