Excerpt: The two-year plan by Mayor Jerry Sanders to fix San Diego’s troubled finances before he leaves office begins with cuts that will leave libraries and recreation centers closed on most days, fund fewer positions for sworn police officers and remove fire pits from city beaches.
The mayor’s proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 calls for deep cuts to parks and libraries and a number of one-time financial fixes to tame a $56.7 million deficit in the city’s $1.1 billion operating budget. It also includes the restoration of idled fire engines and leaves a lingering long-term deficit that will need to be closed next year.
Likely the most jarring decision for city residents will be Sanders’ plan to slash library and recreation center hours in half, a move that will shutter those facilities on most days and eliminate swimming and after-school programs at some locations.
The San Diego Public Library has taken a disproportionate share of cuts since 2007.
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