Morning Report: County Relying on Budget for $25 Million Staff Bonuses
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Weeks ago, our Lisa Halverstadt revealed that Democratic county supervisors’ affirmative vote to change the county’s reserve policy would trigger bonuses for county employees.
County officials initially expected to dip into reserve funds for what turned out to be nearly $25 million in bonuses. A lack of support from either of the county board’s two Republicans changed that plan.
Now Halverstadt reveals that county bureaucrats are planning to rely on department budgets to back the bonuses at a time when the county is facing other budget uncertainties tied to federal cuts.
Why it matters: The bonus checks will increase the pressure on the county’s budget.
A county spokesperson emphasized that the bonuses only represent a tiny fraction of the county’s budget and that the county can shoulder the October bonuses without any adjustments – for now.
Councilmember: Tourists and Wealthy Should ‘Pay Their Fair Share’
It’s time to pay up.
That was Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera’s message to tourists and wealthy San Diegans at Politifest on Saturday.
Elo-Rivera wants to generate revenue in two new ways: charging tourists fees for access to places like Mission Bay and Torrey Pines Golf Course, and taxing second homes and vacation homes.
“Those homes are sitting empty while people sleep on the streets. That’s not okay,” he said. “There is something morally abhorrent in my mind about the idea of 5,000 homes in the city of San Diego sitting empty — luxury homes sitting empty — while people are sleeping on sidewalks.”
Cajon Valley Supe to Jump Into School Board Campaigns
It’s rare for district superintendents to dip their toes into the often-partisan politics of school board elections. Not only can getting into the nitty gritty of campaigns take away district leaders’ nonpartisan sheen, but it could also put their jobs at risk.
But despite the potential political minefield, Cajon Valley Union School District Superintendent David Miyashiro said he plans to do just that.
“If I want to stay and keep my job – which I love and I love my community – I’m going to have to do things to make sure that I stay there,” Miyashiro said during an education panel at Politifest on Saturday. “And if it’s combating people that want to get rid of me … all bets are off.”
Miyashiro’s decision to “play an active role” in future school board elections isn’t coming out of nowhere. He thinks two Cajon Valley board members already want to fire him and a potential third lost a bid to unseat an incumbent last year. It may only be a matter of time til another runs.
Appeals Court: Voters Did Approve Hotel Tax
Last week, an appeals court upheld a lower court’s ruling that voters did approve a hotel-room tax five years ago.
Measure C is a ballot measure that called for an increase to the city of San Diego’s transient occupancy tax, or TOT, to fund upgrades to the San Diego Convention Center and pay for homeless services and street repairs.
The tax passed in March 2020 with 65 percent of the public vote, but it didn’t meet the two-thirds majority necessary to pass special taxes – sparking years-long court fights on the measure.
After a lot of back and forth, the Fourth District Court of Appeal agreed with a judge’s previous ruling that Measure C passed. Our City Hall reporter Mariana Martínez Barba reports on what’s next.
ICE to Immigrant Kids: Leave or We’ll Come After Your Family
According to an immigrant legal organization, U.S. immigration officials are testing out an unorthodox new deportation tactic: offering $2,500 to immigrant children who arrived as unaccompanied minors to leave the country and drop their immigration cases.
The tactic is only part carrot, though. ICE is reportedly threatening to arrest the parents or other family members of children who don’t leave. The organization claims that as part of the operation, when those children turn 18, ICE agents will detain them in its adult facilities.
ICE has denied many of the reported details, but has confirmed they are offering to pay minors who opt to return to their country of origin.
Read the whole Border Report here.
In Other News
- In 2017, then-18-year-old Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. signed a deal with Big League Advance in which he received $2 million in exchange for 10 percent of all of his future earnings. He’s since attempted to void the contract and stopped paying in 2023. An independent arbitrator last month ordered Tatis to pay the company $3.74 million, a fraction of the $34 million the contract would have had him pay. (Union-Tribune)
- Last week, California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit against the city of El Cajon, alleging it was violating state law by sharing automated license plate reader data with federal authorities. Wells has since slammed the suit, saying “this is nothing more than a political stunt and an attempt to bully a conservative city for standing up for public safety.” (City News Service)
- Residents of Jacumba have launched an effort to turn a patch of dirt and rocks in the unincorporated East County community into a soccer field. (KPBS)
The Morning Report was written by Lisa Halverstadt, Will Huntsberry, Jakob McWhinney and Mariana Martínez Barba. It was edited by Andrea Sanchez-Villafaña.
The post Morning Report: County Relying on Budget for $25 Million Staff Bonuses appeared first on Voice of San Diego.
