Bay Cities, Port Continue Talks Over Sharing in the Wealth

Cash-starved cities ringing San Diego Bay will have to wait two more weeks before finding out how much money the Board of Port Commissioners is willing to give them from its healthy treasury.

For several months, the five cities in the San Diego Unified Port District--San Diego, National City, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach and Coronado--have attempted to persuade the Port District they need more money for public services they provide on port property.

Commissioners, all of whom are appointed by the city councils of the five cities, have agreed in principle to the idea, especially since several of the cities, such as San Diego, are financially strapped while the Port District sits on a cash machine.

As custodian of state tidelands around the bay, the Port District is landlord of some very profitable projects, including Lindbergh Field, Shelter Island, Seaport Village and Harbor Island.

The cities want to share in the port’s success. The district has a surplus in the bank of more than $70 million.

While the Board of Port Commissioners wants to help--a position it reaffirmed Tuesday--an agreement has been delayed while the two sides haggle over a distribution formula and whether the proposed agreement passes review by the state attorney general. Because the Port District was created by an act of the Legislature, there are restrictions about how it can spend its money.

The port’s executive director, Don Nay, is scheduled to meet today with the managers of the five bay cities to discuss the proposal.

While the cities and the district have been reluctant to reveal exactly how much money is at stake, San Diego officials said Tuesday the city is counting on receiving as much as $13 million.

At the request of San Diego Mayor Maureen O’Connor, who appeared before them, commissioners agreed to schedule a decision for June 26, which the mayor said is necessary to meet city budget deadlines for the fiscal year beginning July 1.