Council Budgets Need Scrutiny

It’s good to see the San Diego City Council showing an interest in bringing the growth of its council office budgets under control. The council budgets have more than doubled since the 1979-80 fiscal year, for a total of $3.2 million this year.

A proposal offered by Councilmen William Jones and Bill Cleator would put a limit, yet to be decided, on the amount each council member could spend on staff and other office expenses. It also would require that council and mayoral budgets undergo the same type of analysis as those of other city departments do. These are basically good ideas. The council members’ office budgets and their entertainment allowances should have some reasonable cap. But these budgets should not be so conservatively regulated that council members cannot adequately respond to the needs of their constituents or the need to be informed about the issues on which they will vote.

Bringing office budgets under control also should not be viewed as the opening round of an effort to reduce the influence of the mayor or council members. San Diego has grown large enough, and the issues are complex enough, that council members need adequate staffs. But as with all things in government today, those staffs should be good, but streamlined.