New Transparency Rules, a $9.16 Billion Budget, and a Court Deadline the City Can't Ignore
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Two San Diego County policies moved from paper to practice this weekend. Board Policy A-75 — adopted unanimously by the Board of Supervisors on June 25th and introduced by Supervisor Joel Anderson — is now in effect, requiring all board-created ad hoc subcommittees to publicly post meeting notices, advance agendas, recordings, minutes, and consultant contract details on a centralized county website. Vice Chair Monica Montgomery Steppe amended the policy to carve out an exception for sensitive subject matter from Brown Act requirements.
Ad hoc subcommittees have historically operated largely out of public view — they are where much of the real policy groundwork is done, smaller and more nimble than full board sessions, but until now far less transparent. A-75 closes that gap by establishing a baseline public record requirement for those bodies.
Also operational as of this week is the county's $9.16 billion FY2026 budget, approved unanimously on June 25th under Chair Terra Lawson-Remer. The budget bolsters public safety to meet Proposition 36 responsibilities and supports health and safety-net programs facing pressure from ongoing federal budget uncertainty — including programs that could affect roughly 93,000 county residents if federal CalFresh proposals advance. Decisions that looked theoretical are now operational.
On the city side, a court-ordered clock is ticking. On June 25th, a judge ordered the City of San Diego to release footage and reports related to an incident in which SDPD shot beanbag rounds and deployed a K-9 against an unarmed man. The release deadline is July 17th — 13 days away. The First Amendment Coalition sued and prevailed after the city refused prior records requests despite California Public Records Act obligations. The city has not publicly confirmed it will comply.
Also new as of July 1st: San Diego's Hospitality Minimum Wage Ordinance is now live, covering workers at hotels with 150 or more rooms, SeaWorld, and major event centers including Petco Park, Pechanga Arena, the San Diego Convention Center, and the Civic Theatre. Covered workers are now entitled to a minimum of $19 per hour at hotels and parks and $21.06 per hour at event centers, phasing up to $25 per hour by July 1, 2030. Approximately 103 hotels citywide are covered; the San Diego Zoo is exempt.