Imperial Beach
The Assembly unanimously approved a bill Tuesday to bail out financially strapped Imperial Beach by allowing the city to turn over its public beaches to the San Diego Unified Port District.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Wadie A. Deddeh (D-Bonita), is designed to shift annual maintenance and bond costs to the wealthy Port District. It would relieve Imperial Beach of a $1.2-million burden that gobbles up about 30% of its municipal budget, according to Deddeh and city officials.
The state auditor said earlier this year that transfer of the tidelands would allow the city of 24,500 residents to pull itself out of red ink starting next year, and to stockpile a $1.2-million surplus by 1996.
The Assembly passed the measure by a 73-0 vote. The measure goes to the Senate for concurrence in technical amendments before being forwarded to Gov. George Deukmejian for his signature.
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