City Budget Committee Says Public Safety is Priority

Members of the City Council Wednesday said increasing funding for public safety and restoring services that had been cut in recent years were their top priorities for San Diego's next budget.

The priorities presented at the City Council's Budget Committee meeting included bringing back civilian employees to the San Diego Police Department so that sworn officers can return to the streets; increasing the numbers of recruits at police and fire academies; fully staffing the lifeguard service; maintaining or increasing the number of hours that libraries and recreation centers are open; and making a dent in a backlog of infrastructure projects.

"We must, of course, remain fiscally disciplined," committee Chairman Todd Gloria said. "This is not a time for us to go on a spending spree."

Gloria also said council members will have to anticipate the impact of changes to redevelopment, continue to look for efficiencies and ways to streamline, and search for opportunities to increase revenues.

Other suggestions that came up during the meeting were to address a growing number of vacancies in city positions, especially in the library system; funding the Neil Good Day Center, where the downtown homeless can rest and take showers; and coming up with new ways to measure performance outcomes.

Mayor Jerry Sanders is scheduled by April 15 to introduce his budget proposal for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

-City News Service