City Council President Scott Peters announced his plan for 100 days of reform on Wednesday, Sept. 6. During the next four months, City Council will evaluate the mayor’s 121 recommendations for fixing the city’s financial system. San Diego faces a $1.4 billion pension deficit after the council voted to delay payments and increase pension benefits.
Today, Sept. 14, City Attorney Michael Aguirre and retained counsel will update the city on its bond and disclosure practices in closed session. Prior to the closed meeting, the public will have an opportunity to comment on the issue at 2 p.m. in council chambers in city hall.
City Council will hold three special Monday meetings to solicit public input concerning the financial crisis: Oct. 16, Nov. 13 and Dec. 4, starting at 9 a.m. in council chambers. Those unable to attend can write, e-mail, call the city or view the meetings on the city’s Web site. No meetings will be held during the evening or on weekends because “all council meetings, unfortunately, are scheduled during business hours,” said Pam Hardy, spokeswoman for Peters, who is also the District 1 Councilman.
"It is the City Council’s role to evaluate the mayor’s reform recommendations and decide how to implement them in a way that promotes efficiency, control and taxpayer protection,” Peters said.
Peters has also called on the city to provide financial training for city council members and staff, and hopes to implement the program by January. Peters said that the city cannot expect “the neighbors, teachers and preachers who sit on the City Council to be municipal finance experts.”
The councilmembers who decided to underfund the pension were likely more attuned to political affairs than the average next-door neighbor, however. Council-members Peters and Brian Maienschein are attorneys, and Toni Atkins and Jim Madaffer were longtime aides to former council members.
Mayor Jerry Sanders estimates that implementing the remedial changes will cost more than $45 million, but he promises not to raise taxes. The mayor also expects that the city will have access to public credit markets by June 2007 in order to borrow money for critical infrastructure projects.
The city will hire a monitor for the next three years to ensure that the remedial plan is carried out. The monitor is expected to cost the city between $3 and $4 million.
To view the remediation plan, visit www.sandiego.gov. The City Council chambers is located at 202 C. St. For more information, call Peters’ office, (619) 236-6611, or e-mail [email protected].