San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer delivered his annual State of the City address on Thursday and unveiled his priorities for the upcoming year.
Faulconer outlined his plans for a Convention Center expansion, more programs to address homelessness, and increased spending for roads and infrastructure, along with revitalizing Balboa Park, expanding affordable housing, and increasing the City’s technology industry.
One issue, however, seemed to overshadow the Mayor’s speech; the announcement earlier in the day that the Chargers would be leaving San Diego.
“At the end of the day, Dean Spanos was never willing to work with us on a stadium solution and demanded a lot more money than we could have agreed to,” Faulconer said. “We live in a great city and we will move forward.”
In his speech, Mayor Faulconer proposed a ballot measure for the 2018 election that would raise hotel taxes to pay for an expansion of the Convention Center, road repairs, and triple the City’s spending on homeless programs. The proposed hotel tax could generate between $60 million to $70 million per year.
The Mayor also outlined new incentives to encourage developers to build more affordable housing for working families, especially near public transit, to increase the City’s density bonus provide incentives to developers that build more units, and also proposed to speed-up approvals to months, not years.
“It simply costs too much and takes too long to build homes in California,” Mayor Faulconer said. “We’re going to slash permitting times and allow more market-rate units to be built when homebuilders also construct entry-level homes in transit-friendly areas,” he added.
The Mayor’s speech also highlighted his accomplishments since taking office in 2014 after the resignation of then-Mayor Bob Filner, including increasing the number of City 9-1-1 dispatchers, reaching new labor deals with unions, and expanding hours at libraries and recreation centers throughout the City.
Mayor Faulconer also addressed part of his comments in Spanish, something he has done throughout his time in public office.
Since his re-election last year, Mayor Faulconer, a Republican, has been rumored to be eyeing a run for California Governor in 2018. During his mayoral campaign, he pledged to fulfill the full four-year term as Mayor if elected.
Faulconer has visited with prominent Republicans since his re-election in November to gauge support for a gubernatorial campaign. Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan has said Faulconer asked for his endorsement in December. In November, Faulconer met with 100 potential donors in Silicon Valley organized by former Republican Congressman Tom Campbell.