San Diego's final budget draws criticism over cuts to Humane Society, libraries

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Organizations hit by cuts in San Diego’s final proposed budget for 2026 are warning of consequences for the communities they serve.

The mayor says tough choices need to be made to close the city’s roughly quarter-of-a-billion-dollar deficit, but some want him to reconsider his final budget plan.

“That’s not really fair because it cuts off a lot of activities for kids and free time that parents need from the kids,” said library-goer Daniel Gomez.

Library-goers like Daniel Gomez are criticizing Mayor Todd Gloria’s plans to reduce hours and programming at San Diego libraries.

A more than $8 million funding cut in the city’s final budget proposal for next fiscal year is to blame. 

As early as July, San Diegans could see all 37 locations closed Sundays and Mondays losing access to a range of resources.

“It leaves me to find places to get WiFi for free or a silent place or somewhere to get books so I really do not have an alternative," Gomez said.

Others say having free public services makes a real financial difference for community members.

“One of my friends was being told she’s going to have to pay a couple thousand dollars to fix her car and there was all these problems and between online and going to the library she figured out how to do it herself and it cost her like $70 in parts and she did it herself," said library-goer Robert Lawson-Owens.

The CEO of the Library Foundation SD released a statement that reads in part, “I am disappointed the City of San Diego is unable to find alternatives to across-the-board cuts…I continue to urge city leaders to commit to building sustainable revenue streams that will safeguard the San Diego public library.”

The city is restoring some of the San Diego Humane Society’s funding after initially planning a $3.5 million cut for animal control.

“We want to make sure our animals and people are safe," Dr. Gary Weitzman, president and CEO of SDHS.

Weitzman says they understand the city’s situation and want to help. 

“We’re foregoing an increase that we by law have to do every year and that’s to provide a living wage to our employees who are San Diego residents,” Weitzman said. 

But Weitzman says if the final budget for next fiscal year passes as is, the nonprofit faces a roughly million-dollar funding gap.

“To do the work that we have to do, we have to have the city agree to leave our budget right now where it is with the agreement that we will give back $1 million of the cut that they have asked us for, we cannot go higher than that," he said.

The budget process moves forward as the city council prepares to debate change before a final vote June 10.