City leaders on Friday announced a public-private proposal to restore San Diego's arts funding as the City Council nears the end of a tumultuous budget process.
City Council President Pro Tem Kent Lee was joined by Budget Committee Chair Henry Foster III on Friday with County Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe and representatives of the Prebys Foundation to announce the proposal, which would have the foundation put up $3 million for arts and culture programs slashed in the current proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget.
"Arts are essential to our city," Lee said. "Music, film, artistic expression — this is what makes us human, and it's what transforms a city into a community. Our arts programs create jobs, attract visitors and help define what it means to be a San Diegan. This is not about funding some abstract luxury, it's about protecting one of San Diego's greatest strengths."
The proposal would also adopt recommendations from the city's Independent Budget Analyst's office to shift $6 million from San Diego's Transient Occupancy Tax (essentially a hotel tax) to arts programs, as well as to restore $1.3 million in grants.
"Arts and culture belong in all of San Diego and this funding supports local artists, small businesses, jobs and the community spaces that keep our neighborhoods connected," said Foster III. "In District 4, the San Diego Black Arts and Culture District shows why this work matters by honoring history, creating opportunity, and making sure culture isn't forgotten. As Budget Chair, I truly believe this proposal is a responsible way to protect funding that matters to our residents and our local economy."
This would cover around $10.35 million of the nearly $12 million cut in the proposed budget, as the city looks to tighten its belt amid a $118 million structural budget deficit.
"Our investment is intended to encourage the city to restore arts funding, honor the competitive grants process already underway, and strengthen regional support for arts and culture," said Grant Oliphant, CEO and president of the Prebys Foundation. "For decades, San Diego's artists and cultural organizations have been promised a reliable source of public funding. It is time to deliver on that promise, and today marks an important step forward."
Following up on a May decision by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to allocate millions in county funding to bolster the region's arts and culture scene, county leaders on Friday announced plans to explore a regional alliance to advance the arts.
"Arts and culture are essential to the identity, vibrancy, and economic vitality of our region," said Montgomery Steppe. "The county has been focused on building a strong and sustainable foundation for arts and culture well before the current budget discussion. I'm encouraged to see leaders from across government, philanthropy, and the arts community coming together around a shared commitment to support the creative ecosystem that enriches all of our communities."
County initiatives include funding for artists from underserved communities, creating or maintaining affordable creative spaces and strengthening cross-border ties with artists in Baja California.
A regional initiative to combine funding, effort, or both would be "more stable and sustainable," the speakers said Friday.
"Year after year, it's the same budget battle over the arts. We envision a better way, a collaboration where our whole region works together to support the arts," Lee said. "We want to secure the level of investment the arts deserve and create a system that does not force organizations to rebuild their future one budget cycle at a time."
The proponents said a regional approach could "help grow investment in arts and culture, strengthen the region's cultural economy, expand access to arts programming in every community and ensure future generations continue to benefit from a vibrant creative sector."
Friday's coalition asked the San Diego City Council to approve the proposal as part of next week's budget actions and urged Mayor Todd Gloria to sign the proposal into law.
