San Diego city leader eyes Padres ballpark to help balance budget – NBC 7 San Diego
San Diego’s practically $120 million budget deficit is as soon as once more taking heart stage this week, as city leaders work to balance the 2026-2027 fiscal yr budget.
As a part of these efforts, city Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera is proposing the Padres tackle a bigger portion of the ballpark prices to restore funding for native artwork organizations.
“I think that we should be asking ourselves why the Padres, again who just sold for $3.9 billion are not paying for those services that they rely on to make all that money,” Councilmember for District 9, Sean Elo-Rivera stated in a budget evaluate assembly earlier this month.
He has proposed lowering the city’s share of the Petco Park bills.
“I think what we’re doing is subsidizing a multi-billion-dollar enterprise where folks profits are in the billions at the expense of folks who are barely getting by here in San Diego,” Elo-Rivera stated.
It’s the city’s newest effort to reduce the city’s proposed cuts on artwork and tradition organizations, that are dealing with practically $12 million in cuts.
It’s unclear what number of jobs may very well be impacted by the cuts as a result of no evaluation has been accomplished to mirror these figures, in accordance to the budget evaluate assembly.
During that assembly, Councilmember Elo-Rivera raised considerations after noticing a rise within the city’s budgeted switch from the Transient Occupancy Tax Fund to cowl police and hearth providers throughout video games and particular occasions at Petco Park.
The switch quantity elevated as a result of the Petco Park fund had an out there balance that was utilized to some bills the yr earlier than.
“I see folks begging to maintain funding for arts and culture organizations that serve communities and employ people, San Diegans and we’re going to increase support for a wildly profitable enterprise by 72%. I have a problem with that,” Elo-Rivera stated.
In an announcement to NBC 7, a Padres spokesperson responded to the councilmember’s remarks, saying the city has a longstanding obligation to maintain the general public streets round Petco Park protected.
He additionally stated the Padres pay for many police providers related to video games and occasions contained in the park, which have totaled $11 million during the last three years.
Adding partly, “The Padres have also invested more than $150 million over the last 14 years to make Petco Park the number No. 1 ballpark in America, a significant return on a civic asset. Councilmember Elo-Rivera’s attempts to distract from the City Council’s chronic fiscal issues do not change the fact that the Padres are not responsible for the $120 million deficit.”
“I think it’s emblematic of a broader issue that we need to wrestle with in this budget of who it is that we’re willing to subsidize and who we are asking to most feel the burden,” Elo-Rivera stated on the assembly.
NBC 7 reached out to Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera’s workplace for an interview or remark and has not heard again.
