Mayor Faulconer discusses 2017 San Diego budget

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) — The first new library in seven years was the setting for Mayor Kevin Faulconer to sign the city’s 2017 budget.

It’s a $3.4 billion budget that focuses on increased spending for projects and programs in the city neighborhoods.

It’s the second consecutive year a budget was passed with a unanimous vote of the city council, a rarity at city hall.

In signing this budget, the mayor said the city’s finances are not only stable, but revenues have been increasing.

"This is a direct result of the reforms that we have made to speed up infrastructure projects, cut red tape and more efficiently spend taxpayer dollars," Mayor Faulconer said.

Some examples

• $373 million for infrastructure projects
• $130 million for the Climate Action Plan
• $16.5 million for flood control

Arts and culture will get $14 million. Funding for homelessness will double.

"This budget will continue to fund academies to hire  more police officers and firefighters, and $4.7 million to address recruitment and retention issues for our police officers and our 911 dispatchers," Faulconer said.

The mayor said there’s a lot of good news in this budget, for all neighborhoods.

"Thankfully we are in better financial times and we’ve set new standards for fiscal restraint and accountability, the responsible that we’re doing while we’re investing in neighborhoods now is we are saving for the future," the mayor added.

Infrastructure for buildings and grounds in Balboa Park, and increased compensation for police, firefighters and lifeguards.

Much of this increased spending will go into neighborhoods that have been historically neglected. Skyline Hills, for example.

"Today we stand on the construction site of the new skyline hills branch library, a $13.8 million state of the art library which will open its doors in September of this year," Mayor Faulconer said.

There are two insignificant factors represented by this budget. One, against it was passed by a unanimous vote of the council.

The mayor said this budget builds on three years of investments that lays the foundation for San Diego’s future.