Morning Report: Supe Pitches New Polling Rules

County Supervisor Joel Anderson had some beefs with his board colleague Terra Lawson-Remer’s recent county-funded poll testing of potential ballot measures. He responded by proposing guardrails.

Anderson wants county lawyers to review and sign off on county-funded polls in the future, reports our Lisa Halverstadt. He also wants the polling itself to be posted online within 30 days of a poll being completed.

Refresher: Halverstadt broke the news last month that Lawson-Remer spent $89,000 in taxpayer money to poll test potential ballot measures that would raise taxes and reform county government — including a charter reform measure that’s also up for a board vote next week. A prominent San Francisco-based election attorney suggested one of those polls crossed the line on what state law allows local government funds to support.

Lawson-Remer’s response: Lawson-Remer’s office says she’s a fan of what Anderson is proposing – and that she’s already been following the rules he’s now pitching. Her office said the chair thinks a clear process would be helpful. 

Read the full story here.

Layoffs, Cuts, and Dwindling Revenue: Our Budget Takeaways 

Mayor Todd Gloria presented his full budget Wednesday as the city confronts a deficit well north of $100 million. While the mayor touted increases to parts of the police and fire budgets earlier this week, some departments are facing big cuts. Here are some initial takeaways:

• Mayor says he’s prioritizing homelessness services, but proposes cuts: The budget proposes more than $948,000 for what appears to be the closing of the Neil Good Day Center, the city’s main hub for homeless San Diegans. The CEO of Father Joe’s Villages, a nonprofit which oversees the center, said he’s not sure what that line item actually means. The mayor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
• Massive cuts in arts and culture funding: The mayor proposed cutting approximately $11.8 million from the city’s arts budget. He said the city no longer can afford to support local arts organizations. Local arts leaders decried the cuts.
• Rec centers and libraries on chopping block again: The mayor proposed saving $5.4 million by cutting recreation center hours and $2.4 million by reducing library hours.
• Cuts to unclassified employees: In an effort to buckle down on the city’s controversial ranks of middle managers, the mayor announced layoffs of 48 unclassified city employees, a savings of $9.3 million. Gloria said many of the positions were created in response to the Covid pandemic. The city’s largest employees union commended the mayor for tackling the middle manager issue.
• No new revenue in sight: Council President Joe LaCava confirmed our suspicions. He said the City Council learned a tough lesson last year when it tried to pass on costs to residents. For now, city leaders are only looking at cuts — as opposed to new revenue — to balance the budget.
• Transportation advocates want more: Despite a proposed $10 million increase to the city’s transportation budget, advocates said a proposed cut in the number of traffic engineers would threaten public safety.
• Related commentary: Claire Snyder, co-executive director of Youth Will, writes in a commentary for Voice of San Diego that Gloria needs to stop balancing San Diego’s budget on the backs of vulnerable youths.

National City Eyes New Business Tax 

Leaders of cash-strapped National City on Tuesday took the first step toward instituting a new business license tax that could increase revenue by up to $7.5 million per year.

The new tax, which would require voter approval, would replace the city’s current flat rate license fee with a graduated tax based on businesses’ annual revenue.

City councilmember Marcus Bush said leaders are eyeing the tax because the city needs more money and the current license fee is unfair to small businesses.

“We have a structural deficit and we need to look for other options for revenue generation,” Bush said. “Our top 100 businesses that generate the most receipts… aren’t paying their fair share.”

Bush expects the Council to decide next month whether to place the new tax proposal on the November ballot.

Proposed Leadership Changes at Einstein Academies

It’s been one controversy after another at Albert Einstein Academies, a dual-language charter school in San Diego.

Now, seeking stability, the innovative but troubled school may be eyeing a new leadership structure.

On Tuesday, the school’s board of trustees discussed a proposal to expand the board, institute term limits and stagger board members’ terms to ensure a steady infusion of new leadership.

The committee based its proposals on a survey of school families and staff that found widespread dissatisfaction.

“The school has deteriorated because of the ever-growing distance between upper administration and the people who actually make the school,” one parent wrote in the survey.

Read the Learning Curve here.

The Met Gala of San Diego Politics

We have a few remaining tickets for Off the Record 2026. This exclusive evening brings together 350 elected officials, community leaders, major supporters and newsmakers for a sharp and hilarious roast of our local leaders featuring never-before-seen footage of San Diego’s political figures. It’s a full dinner. No awards. No speeches. And it’s truly off the record. We take your phones at the door, which is actually very fun. No recording allowed.

Get your tickets here.

In Other News

• The California Coastal Commission OK’d SeaWorld San Diego’s plan to replace most of its fireworks shows with drones, caving to pressure from environmentalists.
• The Chula Vista City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to bring a San Diego State University nursing program to a new city-built library. Leaders envision this as the first step toward a four-year university in the city. (Union-Tribune)
• The Metropolitan Transit System and the North County Transit District are considering possible fare hikes this week. The new fares would require final approval by the San Diego Association of Governments. (inewsource)
• La Mesa police on Wednesday engaged in a four-hour standoff with a woman who threatened to burn down her apartment complex with homemade Molotov cocktails after drawing swastikas on the exterior wall and door of her unit. Yikes! (CBS 8)
• Yes, it’s news that the San Diego Humane Society announced Wednesday it’s extending adoption hours this summer. But the real reason to check out NBC San Diego’s coverage of the announcement is the irresistible photo of an adoptable gerbil.

The Morning Report was written by Jim Hinch, Mariana Martínez Barba and MacKenzie Elmer. It was edited by Will Huntsberry.

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