San Diego city leaders to hold final hearings for 2023 proposed budget

The town of San Diego is near adopting a proposed $4.89 billion price range for the 2023 fiscal yr.

San Diego Metropolis Council President Sean Elo-Rivera mentioned this yr’s price range was larger than in earlier years due to total financial restoration.

“Gross sales tax income has gone up a bunch as persons are on the market spending cash. Tourism has not absolutely recovered, however it’s rebounded fairly a bit,” Elo-Rivera mentioned. “These two issues simply give us extra money in our coffers to work with.”

Elo-Rivera mentioned the price range aimed to handle root points within the metropolis.

“Large image, infrastructure, there’s enormous funding there,” he mentioned. “After which housing and homelessness continues to be one thing the town’s investing in in a really substantial approach.”

The council president mentioned he understood the area’s struggles with homelessness and housing affordability via firsthand expertise when he was rising up.

“We will not clear up our homelessness disaster with out stopping folks from falling into homelessness,” he mentioned.

A major focus for the price range is growing funds to rent, and maintain, extra metropolis staff.

“One other a part of this price range is beginning to carry San Diego staff as much as aggressive wages,” Elo-Rivera mentioned. “In order that our firefighters do not feel like they’ve to go away the town of San Diego to be able to go make the cash they should permit their household to stay on this area.”

In response to Elo-Rivera, the town employee shortages transcend the fireplace division.

“It is a capability problem,” he mentioned. “So, even when the council has allotted funds in direction of sure wants, like road lights final yr, with out the folks to do the work, the work will not get executed.”

The town council is holding its closing hearings on the price range on Monday and the next week. The 2023 fiscal yr price range have to be adopted by June 30.