Policy Briefs

As measured by per capita spending, total expenditures on fire and emergency medical services in San Diego County are significantly less than the investments in fire protection made by the jurisdictions in either Orange County or Los Angeles County. Moreover, the gap between San Diego and these other Southern California counties has been growing wider over the past four years.

The final impact or cost to the San Diego region of the fires rampaging through San Diego County beginning October 21, 2007 and continuing at least through today, October 29, 2007, will exceed $2 billion. The figures are based upon the aftermaths observed from the previous major fires impacting San Diego in October 2003, and projected costs for the damages reported so far in 2007.

The San Diego Institute recently obtained the following City of San Diego report that measures SOME of the additional costs imposed upon taxpayers by the City’s “Living Wage Ordinance”. This report examines the costs incurred between July and December 2006. Since the cost of the ordinance on City taxpayers is only apparent when contracts are renewed, re-bid or subject to readjustment, a final tally could be as several millions of dollars. By law, the City is required to hold hearings on the impact of the ordinance on July 1st or as soon thereafter as practicable (SDMC 22,4235(c))

In light of a report in March 2007 by the San Diego City Council's Independent Budget Analyst that recommended the strong consideration of the "implementation of a 9-1-1 fee to ensure operability of the City's emergency response and dispatch system SDI examined the track record of such charges in other California jurisdictions.

For the past several months San Diego's elected officials have been embroiled in a dispute over which branch of government has the power to budget, appropriate, and spend funds. In examining other large cities operating under the Mayor-Council form of government, we found that 12 out of 15 Mayors have, for the most part, the unilateral power to make mid-year adjustments to departmental budgets without seeking legislative approval. The budget is seen as a cap on expenditures, not as a requirement to spend all appropriated funds. Because such an arrangement encourages frugality, such an approach seems especially important in the City of San Diego.

This .pdf contains specific information on the 15 cities SDI examined.