Mayor's Budget Proposal Protects Police, Fire Spending, but Cuts Arts, Parks, Libraries to Plug $118 Million Gap

Local reaction to mayor's proposed cuts to arts and culture in San Diego

Mayor Todd Gloria's proposed budget for fiscal year 2027 would cut $11.8 million from the current $13.8 million budget for arts and culture, which advocates say will have a devastating impact on local events, organizations, and the economy.

Mayor's budget proposal protects police, fire spending, but cuts arts, parks, libraries to plug $118 million gap

Art groups raised the alarm Wednesday in response to San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria’s proposed 2026-27 budget . (File photo by Chris Stone/Times of San Diego) Mayor Todd Gloria is proposing to reduce library and recreation center hours, pause arts and culture funding and scale back bike-lane expansion to balance a $118 million deficit for the upcoming year. But his $6.4 billion budget, which needs City Council approval before the end of June, prote…

San Diego draft budget slashes arts, boosts police and fire ...

Stop Balancing the Budget on the Backs of Our Youth

Last month, I watched Mayor Todd Gloria take the stage at a youth mentoring event, outlining for the crowd how important youth programming is to the city’s future. Now, only a month later, he is threatening to completely cut the office that serves the young people he was speaking to. For Mayor Gloria, young San Diegans appear to be convenient backdrops for social media posts. While he is happy to smile for the camera, his proposal for the city’s…

San Diego arts leaders blast proposed massive funding cuts as ‘catastrophic’ and ‘devastating’

In newly unveiled budget proposal, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria is looking to help close a projected $146 million deficit by cutting $11.8 million of funds that go to local arts groups.

Mayor Todd Gloria releases draft budget with more than $120M deficit; proposes layoffs, service cuts

Mayor Gloria's new budget proposes layoffs and service reductions amid a $146M deficit. Weigh in at the public hearing on May 4.