There had been some controversy about whether the Mayor and San Diego City Council would have to dip into reserves to handle their budget deficit – now it appears they have no choice. We’ll explain how bad the city’s finances are getting. 

 

South County is now home to a massive hotel and convention center many years in the making. The mayor of Chula Vista like all south bay officials was proud. But he quickly distanced himself from his real estate company that appears ready to cash in on an adjacent project. 

 

And Jakob’s got an update from the telenovela that is Grossmont Union High School District.

 

SHOW NOTES: 

(Links to VOSD articles mentioned during the show and links for further reading)

San Diego County Grand Jury Findings

VOSD:

Grand Jury Finds Faults in San Diego Unified’s Bond Program

Among the report’s findings, the grand jury concluded the district had ‘consistently failed to inform,’ voters of bond-induced tax rate increases or provided detailed lists of projects.

San Diego Budget Crisis

KPBS:

San Diego’s highest paid city employees? Cops racking up overtime and earning over $400,000

City of San Diego

City of San Diego Public Hearing on the Fiscal Year 2026 Draft Budget and May Revision.

Chula Vista Mayor and Amara Bay

VOSD:

Chula Vista Mayor Distances Himself from His Own Real Estate Company 

Chula Vista Mayor John McCann’s real estate company filed paperwork enabling it to do business under the same name as a high-profile bayfront redevelopment project McCann has promoted as mayor. After Voice of San Diego asked about the arrangement, McCann said he was divesting himself from the company.

GUHSD Drama Continues to Unfold

VOSD:

Grossmont Board Gives Final ‘Yes,’ to Layoffs, Inks Six Figure Resignation Settlement with Chief of Staff

After months of uproar, Grossmont Union’s board did what everyone was scared they would – they finalized layoff notices. Later that night they also approved a settlement agreement with a district administrator whose journey back to Grossmont sparked concerns of serious conflicts of interest.



Scott Lewis, CEO and editor in chief at Voice of San Diego.

Andrea Lopez-Villafaña, managing editor

Bella Ross, social media producer

Jakob McWhinney, education reporter and theme music composer.

Xavier Vasquez, podcast producer

Journalism is integral to a healthy democracy: Support independent, investigative journalism in San Diego County.

Become a Member: Voice Member Benefits
Join today and receive insider access.

There had been some controversy about whether the Mayor and San Diego City Council would have to dip into reserves to handle their budget deficit &ndash; now it appears they have no choice. We&rsquo;ll explain how bad the city&rsquo;s finances are getting.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
South County is now home to a massive hotel and convention center many years in the making. The mayor of Chula Vista like all south bay officials was proud. But he quickly distanced himself from his real estate company that appears ready to cash in on an adjacent project.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
And Jakob&rsquo;s got an update from the telenovela that is Grossmont Union High School District.
&nbsp;
SHOW NOTES:&nbsp;
(Links to VOSD articles mentioned during the show and links for further reading)
San Diego County Grand Jury Findings
VOSD:
<a href="https://voiceofsandiego.org/2025/05/22/grand-jury-finds-faults-in-san-diego-unifieds-bond-program/">Grand Jury Finds Faults in San Diego Unified&rsquo;s Bond Program</a>
Among the report&rsquo;s findings, the grand jury concluded the district had &lsquo;consistently failed to inform,&rsquo; voters of bond-induced tax rate increases or provided detailed lists of projects.
San Diego Budget Crisis
KPBS:
<a href="https://www.kpbs.org/news/public-safety/2025/05/19/san-diegos-highest-paid-city-employees-cops-racking-up-overtime-and-earning-over-400-000">San Diego&rsquo;s highest paid city employees? Cops racking up overtime and earning over $400,000</a>
City of San Diego
<a href="https://sandiego.granicus.com/player/clip/9168?view_id=3&amp;redirect=true">City of San Diego Public Hearing on the Fiscal Year 2026 Draft Budget and May Revision.</a>
Chula Vista Mayor and Amara Bay
VOSD:
<a href="https://voiceofsandiego.org/2025/05/21/chula-vista-mayor-distances-himself-from-his-own-real-estate-company/">Chula Vista Mayor Distances Himself from His Own Real Estate Company&nbsp;</a>
Chula Vista Mayor John McCann&rsquo;s real estate company filed paperwork enabling it to do business under the same name as a high-profile bayfront redevelopment project McCann has promoted as mayor. After Voice of San Diego asked about the arrangement, McCann said he was divesting himself from the company.
GUHSD Drama Continues to Unfold
VOSD:
<a href="https://voiceofsandiego.org/2025/05/09/grossmont-board-gives-final-yes-to-layoffs-inks-six-figure-resignation-settlement-with-chief-of-staff/">Grossmont Board Gives Final &lsquo;Yes,&rsquo; to Layoffs, Inks Six Figure Resignation Settlement with Chief of Staff</a>
After months of uproar, Grossmont Union&rsquo;s board did what everyone was scared they would &ndash; they finalized layoff notices. Later that night they also approved a settlement agreement with a district administrator whose journey back to Grossmont sparked concerns of serious conflicts of interest.
 Scott Lewis, CEO and editor in chief at Voice of San Diego.
Andrea Lopez-Villafa&ntilde;a, managing editor
Bella Ross, social media producer
Jakob McWhinney, education reporter and theme music composer.
Xavier Vasquez, podcast producer
Journalism is integral to a healthy democracy:<a href="https://vosd.fundjournalism.org/?amount=15&amp;campaign=701f3000001Dna8&amp;frequency=monthly"> Support independent, investigative journalism in San Diego County.</a>
Become a Member:<a href="https://voiceofsandiego.org/member-benefits/"> Voice Member Benefits Join today and receive insider access.</a>

This is Voice of San Diego’s weekly spitfire roundup of news. We cover local and regional politics, the environment, education, the border and more. This show features our investigative reporting and interviews with lawmakers and other special guests.

This is Voice of San Diego&rsquo;s weekly spitfire roundup of news. We cover local and regional politics, the environment, education, the border and more. This show features our investigative reporting and interviews with lawmakers and other special guests.