People as a Line Item: Who Gets Cut, Who Gets Protected

Budgets don’t just reveal priorities—they expose power.

In San Diego, the FY26 proposed budget is filled with choices that show who matters most to City Hall—and who can be sacrificed without consequence. While millions are preserved for upper management and department overhead, the first services on the chopping block are almost always those that serve the public directly.

This fourth installment in our series looks at the human cost of “fiscal responsibility.” Because in times of crisis, someone always pays—and it’s rarely the ones with political influence.

The Cuts Fall Hardest on the Vulnerable

Here’s what San Diego proposes cutting in FY26:

• Closing libraries two days a week citywide

• Reducing rec center hours by 33%

• Scaling back tutoring and homework help programs

• Shutting down restrooms in public parks during off-seasons

Now ask: who feels these cuts most?

• Kids who rely on libraries after school

• Working parents with limited childcare options

• Seniors who use parks and rec centers for social connection

• Low-income families who lack private alternatives

These aren’t just programs—they’re lifelines. But to budget writers, they’re expendable line items.

Who Gets Protected?

While the City trims services that support everyday residents, some areas remain untouched or even padded:

• Executive-level salaries and benefits

• High-level administrative staff

• Public safety overtime allocations

• Contractual consulting services and “special projects”

The result is a city that protects its own structure while weakening the services it was created to provide.

This isn’t about malice. It’s about inertia. Institutions protect themselves by default. Without public pushback, that pattern only deepens.

The Equity Illusion

It’s common to see language in San Diego’s budget touting “equity investments” and “inclusive growth.” But when you cut the services that make access possible, equity becomes a slogan—not a practice.

No family feels more included because a PowerPoint slide mentions equity. They feel it when the library is open, the rec center is staffed, and the community garden is funded.

We Need a Budget That Starts With People

If public money doesn’t serve the public, what is it for?

A people-first budget would:

• Fully fund essential public services before anything else

• Cap administrative salaries during deficit years

• Require equity impact assessments before finalizing cuts

• Treat parks, libraries, and youth programs as infrastructure—not extras

Budgets are moral documents. They answer the question: who counts?

In our final blog, we’ll look at what a mayor could actually do differently—and how a new approach to budgeting could transform San Diego into a city that works for everyone.

Coming next: “If I Were Mayor: A Roadmap to People-Centered Governance.”