San Diego, CA

City Staff Spent $6 million More on Rentals Without Council Approval. Councilmembers Want Answers

Published

4 months ago

October 31, 2025

City Staff Spent million More on Rentals Without Council Approval. Councilmembers Want Answers

A year ago, San Diego city auditors found that staff spent millions more on rental equipment for city departments than what councilmembers approved. But the auditors couldn’t find who OK’d the additional spending.

Over the last month, councilmembers have demanded answers from city staff after an audit found that a contract with Herc Rentals increased by more than $6 million without approval from the City Council.

“I had asked on the dais on Oct. 6 where the $6 million had come from that was taken from the general fund and increased unlawfully to the Herc rental contract,” Councilmember Marni von Wilpert said during an Oct. 20 City Council meeting. “I’m still waiting for an answer.”

The city has a contract with Herc Rentals to rent trucks, forklifts and other equipment and services. This equipment is used by city workers across several departments responsible for park maintenance, public safety and more.

For fiscal year 2020, councilmembers approved spending up to $14.3 million on rentals. The contract now allows spending up to $65.5 million.

City law requires the City Council to review and approve certain changes to city contracts. The Council is required to approve new contracts over $3 million and all adjustments to contracts over $200,000.

The city auditor found that didn’t happen in 2023. That year, staff adjusted the Herc Rentals contract in October by $4 million and then again in December by $2.7 million. Other adjustments made to the contract were approved by the Council.

The city auditor’s team said departments didn’t know whether their contracts needed Council approval. 

In a statement, Ombretta Di Dio, spokesperson for purchasing and contracting, said the contract was adjusted “to pay outstanding invoices and allow departments access to rental equipment and vehicles to address operational needs, with the intent of obtaining retroactive approval.”

She said rental equipment and vehicles supported critical operations to the city. When some city vehicles were out for repair or missing parts, they used Herc rentals to help in emergency situations like the 2024 floods.

The city auditor gave Voice of San Diego the list of every transaction with Herc Rentals from 2019 to 2024. The transactions are from dozens of departments like public utilities, homelessness strategies and solutions, and transportation.

Di Dio said departments have “flexibility within their approved budget to manage non-personnel costs… When overages occur in one area, they are typically offset by savings in another—ensuring that operations continue without disruption.”

According to the 2024 audit, “when contract alterations are brought to Council late, it puts pressure on Council’s approval responsibility. As a result, Council’s ability to provide meaningful oversight may be reduced if there is not time to consider other vendors without disrupting critical services.”

In other words, when contracts are brought late to the City Council it limits their role and authority to make sound decisions on the contracts. Think of it like making charges to a shared credit card. Each department is charging to the credit card, unaware of how much other departments are spending on it too. Then, Council has to deal with the bill.

Say a department spent more than $50,000 on rental vehicles. They have a better chance of getting that approved by Council if they bring it late, because, well, they have already spent it and now they owe Herc.

So, Council might feel pressure to approve the action to adjust the contract so they can ensure Herc gets paid. But they don’t know if the departments have that money budgeted, they just know they owe Herc.

Councilmembers either vote no – and risk interrupting services – or vote yes and continue to meet the demands for rental equipment across departments.

The Herc contract is an example of these pressures. The Council recently approved an additional eighth amendment to increase the amount in July. The Council voted to increase the contract with the condition that they want to see a specific audit on it.

“I think one of the things I struggle with sometimes is who will bear the consequences if these contracts aren’t approved,” said Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera during the Council meeting on Oct. 6.

“I think this is what puts us in a particularly difficult position as councilmembers… it is typically rank and file everyday employees who are doing the work.”

It’s unclear why the city is spending so much with Herc. A spokesperson with the city said the transportation department received a mid-year adjustment in FY25 to account for increased needs so that other departments’ needs were not reduced.

The city auditor is planning to do an individual audit on the Herc contract and any other vehicle contracts.

“We will begin the audit in the near future,” said City Auditor Andy Hanau.

Claudia Abarca, director of purchasing and contracting, said they implemented eight recommendations of the 13 made by the city auditor in the last year. One of these recommendations includes updating the Council approval threshold and clarifying alterations for goods and services contracts.

Still, councilmembers are frustrated and looking for answers.

“Do you realize we had a budget fight this past year for over $4.5 million in which the mayor vetoed it and we overrode the veto?” said Councilmember Von Wilpert during the Council Meeting on Oct. 6. 

“Somebody had to use a city computer and make that adjustment unlawfully. It’s against the municipal code to do that, so who did that?”

Councilmember Raul Campillo also chimed in to ask if the city disciplined the employees who made the illegal adjustments. Abarca said they did.

“I’m really hopeful that’s what happened here, because this wasn’t a few dollars over,” said Councilmember Campillo. “This was several million dollars over.”

Abarca said that city departments were behind on payments and in a deficit of what they owed Herc. She said her staff was directed to make the unauthorized adjustments when they ran it up the chain of command.

“I don’t know that it went to the mayor himself, I know I did bring this up to the DCOO (deputy chief operating officer) and we’ve been working on this contract for quite some time,” said Abarca. “We’ve done several refinements on how we are monitoring and actually managing the spend for each department to ensure we don’t get to this place again.” 

Abarca added they have not altered any contracts above $200,000 without it coming forward to the City Council since 2023.

It’s still unclear who is directly responsible for the contract changes, and where each department pulled money from their budget to pay Herc.

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San Diego, CA

Padres roster review: Miguel Andujar

Published

9 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Padres roster review: Miguel Andujar – San Diego Union-Tribune

MIGUEL ANDUJAR

Position(s): Third base, left field, first base
Bats / Throws: Right / Right
2026 opening day age: 31
Height / Weight: 6-foot / 211 pounds
How acquired: Signed as a free agent in February 2026
Contract status: Will make $1.5 million in 2026, with the opportunity to earn another $2 million-plus in performance bonuses; his $4 million guarantee includes a $2.5 million buyout against an $8 million mutual option for 2027.
fWAR in 2025: 1.1
Key 2025 stats: .318 AVG, .352 OBP, .470 SLG, 10 HRs, 44 RBIs, 36 runs, 17 walks, 49 strikeouts, 1 steal (94 games, 341 plate appearances)

STAT TO NOTE

.986 — Andujar’s OPS against left-handed pitching in 2025, the second-highest mark of his career and well above his career .807 OPS against southpaws. Andujar had been below .600 in 2021 and 2022 before jumping to .871 in 2023 and a career-high .995 in 2024.

Up — Signed for $700,000 out of the Dominican Republic as a 16-year-old in the international amateur market, Andujar needed two years to get out of the Yankees’ rookie-ball affiliate in the Gulf Coast League and finally cracked top-100 lists ahead of the 2018 season — No. 59 at Baseball America and No. 65 at MLB.com — after reaching Triple-A following a 16-homer season (.850 OPS). Andujar even made his MLB debut as a 22-year-old in 2017 and looked like he’d be a big part of the Yankees’ future after pairing 27 homers and 92 RBIs with an .855 OPS in finishing second to Shohei Ohtani in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2018. But a right shoulder labrum tear derailed Andujar in 2019 and Andujar was never able to grab a starting job again in New York. The Pirates claimed him late in 2022 and then the Athletics claimed him after the 2023 season. By then, he’d developed into a platoon player with defensive limitations. Andujar had a .697 OPS in 75 games in his first year with the Athletics and a .765 OPS in 60 games last year when, after missing time with a right oblique strain, he was shipped to the Reds for a minor league pitcher. Andujar went on to hit .359/.400/.544 with four homers and 17 RBIs in 34 games to help the Reds lock up a wild-card spot. He was 0-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout in the NL Wild Card Series sweep at the hands of the Dodgers.

Miguel Andujar #41 of the San Diego Padres participates in drills during spring training workouts at the Peoria Sports Complex on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026 in Peoria, Ariz.(Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

2026 OUTLOOK

The need for right-handed balance in the lineup was painfully obvious in the Padres’ NL Wild Card Series loss to the Cubs, so Andujar became a target after 1B/OF Ryan O’Hearn walked as a free agent. Expect Andujar to get at-bats against lefties as either a DH, first base, third base or left field — the spots he’s been playing in spring training.

ROSTER RANKINGS

1. OF Fernando Tatis Jr.
2. 3B Manny Machado
3. OF Jackson Merrill
4. RHP Nick Pivetta
5. RHP Michael King
6. RHP Mason Miller
7. OF Ramón Laureano
8. SS Xander Bogaerts
9. LHP Adrián Morejón
10. RHP Jeremiah Estrada
11. RHP Jason Adam
12. 2B Jake Cronenworth
13. RHP Joe Musgrove
14. RHP Randy Vásquez
15. INF Miguel Andujar
16. OF Gavin Sheets
17. LHP JP Sears
18. RHP Yu Darvish
19. RHP Bradgley Rodriguez
20. RHP David Morgan
21. C Freddy Fermin
22. LHP Wandy Peralta
23. C Luis Campusano
24. LHP Yuki Matsui
25. INF Sung-Mun Song
26. RHP German Marquez
27. RHP Matt Waldron
28. OF Bryce Johnson
29. OF/1B Nick Castellanos
30. RHP Ron Marinaccio
31. RHP Bryan Hoeing
32. LHP Kyle Hart
33. INF Will Wagner
34. RHP Garrett Hawkins
35. RHP Miguel Mendez
36. RHP Daison Acosta
37. RHP Ty Adcock
38. RHP Alek Jacob
39. INF Mason McCoy

Removed from 40-man roster

OF Tirso Ornelas (designated for assignment)
RHP Jhony Brito (60-day injured list)

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San Diego, CA

San Diego Bishop Is Out of a Job

Published

21 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of the Chaldean Catholic bishop of San Diego, California, a decision announced Tuesday by the Vatican after the bishop was arrested on embezzlement charges. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office said last week it had arrested Bishop Emmanuel Shaleta on Thursday at San Diego International Airport as he tried to leave the country, reports the AP. The office said it acted after someone from Shaleta’s church provided a statement and documentation “showing potential embezzlement from the church.” Shaleta was being held on $125,000 bail on eight counts of embezzlement, money laundering, and aggravated white collar crime, the statement said. Shaleta pleaded not guilty on Monday, reports NBC San Diego.

“He was on his way to Germany,” prosecutor Joel Madero said. “Given his access to funds, the fact that he had over $9,000 in the bag when he was stopped, and the fact that he has these international ties … I do believe that some bail to ensure he shows up is appropriate.” There was no immediate reply to an email sent to Shaleta’s parish, St. Peter Chaldean Church, seeking comment and contact information for his attorney. The Vatican said in its daily bulletin Tuesday that Leo had accepted Shaleta’s resignation under the code of canon law for eastern rite churches that allows for the pope to agree if a bishop asks to step down.

Leo actually accepted the resignation when Shaleta presented it in February, but an announcement was not made until Tuesday, according to the Vatican embassy in Washington. The Holy See appears to have waited to announce the decision to avoid interfering with the police investigation. Leo named Bishop Saad Hanna Sirop as a temporary administrator. Shaleta, 69, was ordained a priest of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Detroit in 1984. He was named to the San Diego branch of the eastern rite Catholic Church in the US in 2017.

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San Diego, CA

Padres roster review: Germán Márquez

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Padres roster review: Germán Márquez – San Diego Union-Tribune

GERMÁN MÁRQUEZ

Position(s): Right-handed pitcher
Bats / Throws: Right / Right
2026 opening day age: 31
Height / Weight: 6-foot-1 / 230 pounds
How acquired: Signed as a free agent in February 2026
Contract status: Will make $1 million in 2026 with a $750,000 buyout on a mutual option for 2027; can add up to $3.25 million in performance bonuses.
fWAR in 2025: 0.3
Key 2025 stats: 3-16, 6.70 ERA, 83 strikeouts, 48 walks, 1.71 WHIP, .317 opponent average, 126⅓ innings (26 starts)

STAT TO NOTE

36.9 — The percentage of groundballs that Márquez yielded in 2025, a career low and significantly below his career average (48%). Márquez’s groundball rate was regularly above 50% before requiring Tommy John surgery in early 2023. He made one start in 2024 and struggled mightily while making 26 starts last year.

Down — Márquez had a 4.40 ERA through his first seven years in the majors, not bad considering he pitched roughly half his games at one of the best hitting environments in the majors. In fact, Márquez has a 5.17 ERA in his career at Coors Field and a 4.22 ERA in road environments. But Márquez underwent Tommy John surgery early in 2023, made one start in the majors in mid-July in 2024 (4 IP, 3 ER) and struggled throughout his first full year back in the Rockies rotation. The season was so difficult for Márquez that he was actually worse on the road (7.32 ERA) than he was in 11 starts at Coors Field (5.98 ERA). His strikeout rate (5.9 per nine innings) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (1.73) were the worst of his careers, as was his walk rate (3.4 per nine innings), while his hit rate (12.0 per nine innings) was the second worst of his career. On top of that, Márquez’s groundball rate was also the lowest of his career (see stat to note) and ranked in the bottom 22nd percentile of the league and his hard-hit rate (48.5%) and average exit velocity (91.7 mph) both ranked in the bottom 2 percentile of the league. One reason: a 94.8 mph four-seamer is down a few ticks than the height of his effectiveness. Márquez reached free agency after the season and signed with the Padres in February.

2026 OUTLOOK

Márquez has a big-league deal with the Padres, but he’ll have to rediscover his pre-elbow-reconstruction form to hold onto a roster spot, as RHP Griffin Canning (Achilles) is expected to push for a spot at some point this season and the likes of LHP JP Sears, RHP Matt Waldron and minor league signees like Marco Gonzales could warrant looks if Márquez’s struggles continue into 2026.

German Marquez #33 of the San Diego Padres participates in drills during spring training workouts at the Peoria Sports Complex on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026 in Peoria, Ariz.(Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)