If I Were Mayor: A Roadmap to People-Centered Governance
We’ve dissected the myths, traced the money, and exposed the patterns. Now it’s time to ask the question that matters most: What would we do differently if we actually wanted to fix things?
This final installment of our San Diego budget series lays out a clear, actionable roadmap for what people-centered governance could look like—starting today.
Step 1: Launch a Budget Justice Audit
Before changing anything, we need to see everything.
Publish a full department-by-department breakdown of spending.
Separate administrative costs from frontline services.
Highlight funding trends over time so residents can see what’s grown, what’s shrunk, and why.
Transparency builds pressure. If the public saw that library cuts happened alongside rising executive salaries, they'd demand better.
Step 2: Prioritize Services, Not Structure
The budget process must flip its priorities:
Fund core public services first—libraries, rec centers, youth programs, mental health services.
Cap administrative growth during deficit years.
Require that any expansion in executive pay comes after community service benchmarks are met.
People aren’t a budget line—they’re the purpose.
Step 3: Institutionalize Participatory Budgeting
Democracy doesn’t end at the ballot box.
Allocate a percentage of discretionary funds for direct community input.
Allow residents to vote on neighborhood-specific improvements.
Require every council district to run one participatory budgeting cycle per year.
This would turn budgeting into what it should be: a civic process—not a closed-door negotiation.
Step 4: Redesign Budget Language Around Outcomes
Replace vague terms like “maintain capacity” with outcome-based goals:
“Add 100 hours of library access per month”
“Reduce homelessness by 25% in District 8”
“Fully staff all rec centers to 2018 levels”
If it’s not measurable, it’s not accountable.
Step 5: Treat Equity as Infrastructure
Equity is not an afterthought—it’s the foundation.
Require equity impact assessments for all cuts and new expenditures.
Direct more funding to historically underserved neighborhoods.
Hire community liaisons to ensure decisions reflect real needs, not just spreadsheet logic.
Equity isn’t a PowerPoint slide. It’s who gets a seat at the table—and who gets served.
Final Word: Build From the Ground Up
If I were mayor, I wouldn’t start with cuts. I’d start with a question: What does a thriving city look like to the people who live here? Then I’d build the budget backwards from that answer.
The tools already exist. What’s missing is the political will to use them.
San Diego doesn’t need better messaging. It needs better math, better morals, and better priorities.
And all of that starts with one simple truth: Public money should serve the public.
Thanks for reading the San Diego at the Crossroads series. If this resonated with you, share it, talk about it, or use it to spark a conversation in your community.
Because nothing changes until we demand it.
