COVID-19’s economic impact will be felt across the state this coming year, and every city needs to do what they can to work with their budgets to make ends meet. San Diego is projected to fall $427 million short of Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s proposed 2021 budget plan, which will consequently result in cuts across the board.
High-value city services, such as parks and recreation, libraries, and support for underprivileged youth are seeing millions of dollars worth of cuts, which will undoubtedly hurt our city as a whole. The San Diego City Council is desperately looking for ways to reduce these cuts with extra savings—and the solution might be right in their pockets.
San Diego City Council Candidate Joe Leventhal has been advocating for significant reductions in the city budget to combat the deficit that COVID-19 has left us in. His most recent proposition for dealing with our financial troubles is budget cuts for councilmembers who currently receive disproportionate funds, which could be just the cushioning that San Diego needs to ensure that vital programs remain sufficiently funded.
ICYMI: My op-ed: Council Members Should Lead by Cutting Their Own Budgets Firsthttps://t.co/4uqHU6pgnt
— Joe Leventhal (@jleventhal) May 18, 2020
“The proposed operating budget for the City Council next year is $14.7 million, which is $1.5 million higher than the City Council spent just last year,” Leventhal explained. “The vast majority of these budgets go to the hiring of political staff. As the leaders of our city, Council members should propose deeper cuts to their own political staff in order to save critical city services.”
When our city is at risk of losing so many of its vital programs, making these sacrifices is absolutely essential. The City Council needs to be lead by example, and take the necessary steps to save public resources that are vital to our communities.
To learn more about Joe Leventhal and his campaign for City Council District 5, visit www.JoeForSanDiego.com.
