San Diego

Once again deferring its looming fiscal 1991 budget crisis, the San Diego City Council on Tuesday took no action on a package of tax and fee increases it had planned to place before voters on the June 5 ballot.

Instead, the council scheduled a special budget meeting for March 7--just two days before it must forward any ballot proposals to the county registrar of voters for placement on the June ballot. The 1991 fiscal year begins July 1.

Next week’s meeting will be the third special session and fourth council discussion in a month devoted to filling the $59.9-million gap between the proposed $492.5-million fiscal 1991 budget and the $432.6 million that will be available in the city treasury.

A vote scheduled for Tuesday was delayed to review an eleventh-hour proposal by Councilman Ron Roberts that calls for the council to immediately enact $41 million in tax and fee increases, including a 2% utility users tax for residents and a 5% utility tax on business and industry.

Roberts also wants to put a $20-million property tax increase on the ballot and cut $6 million from the proposed budget, largely in arts and promotional programs. His plan would make public safety the city’s top spending priority.

The council is also scheduled to decide whether to place four other revenue-generating measures and a Gann spending limit waiver on the ballot.