Critics have accused San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria of inaction as the city faces significant budget cuts this spring, with one key point of contention being the delayed implementation of paid parking in Balboa Park and at city beaches.
City Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera has argued that if the start date for paid parking in Balboa Park were advanced by six months—from January 1, 2026, to July 1 of this year—nearly enough new revenue could be generated to prevent cuts to essential services such as libraries and recreation centers.
Elo-Rivera expressed frustration during a recent budget hearing regarding the mayor’s slow pace in pursuing revenue generation strategies to alleviate fiscal challenges.
“I’m not having conversations about laying off workers and I’m not having conversations about cutting neighborhood services until I know we’ve actually done everything we can to bring revenue in the door,” he stated.
In response to the criticism, Mayor Gloria maintained that he had indeed begun to address the issue of paid parking aggressively after voters rejected a proposed 1-cent sales tax increase last November, which would have raised approximately $400 million annually.
The mayor explained that the January 2026 start date for paid parking was chosen to allow for collaboration between city officials and leaders of museums and attractions within Balboa Park, ensuring a more thoughtful and effective implementation plan.
The proposed paid parking infrastructure in Balboa Park is set to incorporate traditional parking meters, full-day passes, and various pricing options.
Parking fees are expected to be around $2.50 per hour, with impacted areas including Park Boulevard, Presidents Way, Sixth Avenue, along with the park’s larger public lots.
The City Council is scheduled to vote on this paid parking proposal, alongside other alterations to city parking regulations, on June 2 or 3.
However, Gloria stated that obtaining Coastal Commission approval for introducing paid parking at city beaches would not be feasible within the current budget cycle, indicating that such approval is a lengthy process expected to take several years.
Elo-Rivera countered that the mayor should have proactively pursued alternative revenue streams well before the rejection of the sales tax increase.
“It shouldn’t have taken the failure of the sales tax to kick us into action,” he said, pointing out that city leaders have been aware for years that San Diego generates far less revenue per capita than major cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco.
He further highlighted that his council office, aided by the city’s independent budget analyst, began evaluating options for paid parking at Balboa Park, Mission Bay Park, and local beaches back in 2022.
Elo-Rivera emphasized that the mayor could have utilized the 2022 analysis as a launch point for moving forward with these revenue initiatives sooner.
“This is where the frustration comes, because we all know it takes a long time,” Elo-Rivera added, voicing his concerns over the mayor’s lack of action in filing an application with the Coastal Commission regarding beach parking.
“If it’s a multi-year process to get that engine going, then why aren’t we getting that engine going?” he said.
In defense of Gloria, Khota Zaiser, a policy adviser, stated that city officials have been expediting their efforts for paid parking at city beaches, including consultations with the Coastal Commission.
The Coastal Commission, which prioritizes access to the coast at low costs, is expected to thoroughly evaluate the proposed paid parking.
Joshua Smith, a spokesperson for the commission, noted that the timeline for approval could potentially be shorter than the mayor’s estimation, given that state law mandates the commission to act within 180 days of receiving a proposal.
On the matter of Balboa Park, Elo-Rivera highlighted that if the parking fees were initiated sooner, the city could anticipate generating an additional $11 million in revenue by moving the start date to July 1.
This revenue influx could prevent proposed service cuts, including enduring a loss of $8.6 million from closing all library branches on Sundays and Mondays, along with slashing weekly recreation center hours from 60 or 65 down to just 40.
Elo-Rivera remarked, “The failure to prioritize that means we are $11 million short from where we otherwise would be, and there is $11 million that is not going to go to parks, rec centers, and libraries.”
Zaiser acknowledged that if there are pathways to implement paid parking in Balboa Park more quickly than the planned January 2026 date, the city will pursue that option with urgency.
However, he cautioned that achieving certainty regarding the revenue projection for the upcoming fiscal year beyond the previously established estimate would require more time and analysis.
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