Can City Budgets Be Tightened Up, or Should Taxpayers Pay More?

Commentary The second fiscal year after the implementation of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s coronavirus lockdown for San Diego County’s 18 cities saw Del Mar bounce back up in fiscal rankings (see “City of San Diego Fell Behind $191 Million in First Year of Pandemic,” May 15, 2024). The fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, also saw the county’s population decline by 0.7 percent, reflecting the recent out-migration of California residents to other states. It was a tough year for half of the county’s cities, while the other half improved their fiscal positions. But the big news from the chart below is the continuing growth of the city of San Diego’s unrestricted net deficit. It grew by 13 percent during the fiscal year, reaching the $2.5 billion-dollar mark....