In all, the proposed increases, most of which are about 20%, are estimated to generate $21.2M in additional revenue ($18.5M of which will go into the general fund). NBC 7’s Steven Luke has more.
Renting a boat, event permits, paying for police security services and many, many other fees and services in the city of San Diego are going up in 2025.
The city council took up the issue Monday of increasing the fees and services to help fill a roughly $250 million budget shortfall. In the end, the fee-hike proposal passed the San Diego City Council by a vote of 8-1, with Councilwoman Vivian Moreno the sole dissenting vote, asking for consideration for lower-income neighborhoods, a topic city planners said they would take up.
In all, the proposed increases, most of which are about 20%, are estimated to generate $21.2M in additional revenue ($18.5M of which will go into the general fund).
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Charles Modica, the city's independent budget analyst said in his presentation that of the fees and services considered, 295 fees will increase (43%); and 229 fees are entirely new (34%); while 61 fees, or 9% of the total will remain the same, and 25 will decrease. Seventy-one fees — 10% of the total — will be eliminated
Laurel McFarlane, president and CEO of McFarlane Promotions, which plans and executes large events for corporations and nonprofits in the San Diego area, told NBC last month that, in some instances, the fees her clients would have to pay for San Diego police officers would be triple what the hourly rates were two years ago. She said the hourly fee for one police officer could jump from $55 an hour to $154 an hour since the last increase, three years ago.
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Prices would jump tens of thousands of dollars for large events like San Diego Padres games and San Diego Pride, where police and traffic control are needed.
During public comment, one public speaker named Tommy took issue with the spike in costs when he broke down what the costs for a day fishing at Barrett Lake would be like:
"If council passes the user fees proposed in this staff report … the cost to fish Lake Barrett, one day with your son or your daughter, is as follows:
"A boat motor reservation: $150. An adult/youth fee: two permits would be $90; 45 dollars for each permit — and by the way, Barrett has no senior or youth discounts like the other lakes do.
"Ticketmaster -- you have to go through Ticketmaster to get your ticket: $22. Gas, food, snacks: $60. A fishing license: $124. That's $446 to fish Barrett one day. Do you think that that is reasonable? Can you afford that? Can your constituents afford that?"
The hikes will go into effect either April 1 or July 1, officials said
