A Breakdown of Budgetary Failures and Questionable Spending Decisions
Todd Gloria has shown little ability to understand the city’s finances. He appears to lack real-world experience. Most people would insist on an inspection before buying a home. So why did the mayor approve an expensive high-rise purchase, 101 Ash Street, without a thorough inspection?
There are many examples of Todd Gloria mismanaging taxpayer money:
- For 101 Ash Street, promoted a bad lease, then an unwise purchase, leaving taxpayers responsible for over $200 million for an empty building.
- $3.6 million budgeted to ask people how much the trash fee should be.
- $10 million spent on recent Community Plan Updates, for expensive consultants, and huge amounts of staff time.
- $1 million to replace a restroom in Balboa Park, the cost of a luxury home.
- A dubious and risky decision on reductions to the pension fund (U-T, 4/13/2023)
- Improperly increased spending by $155 million on public contracts.
This is a partial list only of the costly debacles caused by the Dictator Mayor.
After all the bad financial decisions, the mayor wants a sales tax increase, for more money to bail him out.