Make Your Voice Heard– Stop Proposed $4.8 M Library Budget Cuts!
The Mayor heard our voices, and his revised fiscal year 2027 budget has reduced the previously proposed $6.3 million in cuts to the Library department. But the San Diego Public Library is still facing millions in cuts in the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget.
The City budget is now in the hands of the nine City Councilmembers. The next step in Library advocacy is to encourage San Diego City Councilmembers to source additional funding to prevent the loss of hours that you fought to restore last year.
When Library hours are lost, San Diego communities lose access to art and culture programs, youth services, and economic development initiatives.
This is your opportunity to tell your Councilmember that our Libraries must be funded in the final City budget and to let them know how important they are to you and your community in person, online, or by phone.
Join us at the next City Council budget hearing on Wednesday, May 27, at 6:30 p.m. to speak up for what you want funded in the final City of San Diego budget.
Join in-person: (The GREATEST impact for our Libraries):
All hearings are held in person at the City Council Chambers- 12th Floor in the City Administration Building, 202 C Street, San Diego, CA 92101.
- Complete a speaker slip located at the entrance to Council Chambers.
- Indicate the item you wish to speak on and submit it to the Committee Consultant at the box indicated near the speaker’s lectern at the front of the room.
- You will be called in the order the slips are submitted and will have one or two minutes (depending on the number of speakers) to comment.
Join by Zoom or by telephone: dial 1−669−254−5252 and enter Webinar ID: 160 943 0466.
Submit an online comment: select ‘City Council Comment’ and enter ‘600’ for the Agenda Item number.
Use these talking points, or create your own:
- In fiscal year 2026, the San Diego Public Library’s budget was cut by $6.8 million, resulting in the closure of all 37 Library locations on Sundays and 20 locations on Mondays. The reduced service hours have also decreased the number of services and programming the Library can provide.
- The San Diego Public Library is facing a $4.8 million cut in the proposed fiscal 2027 budget, which would further reduce hours, programming, and services for patrons.
- The proposed cuts will also affect the Library’s maintenance budget, limiting its ability to address more than $60 million in deferred maintenance needs.
- As a result of continuing budget cuts, the Library’s materials budget is just $2.8 million for a city of 1.4 million residents — about $2 per person. That spending level is significantly lower than that of comparable public Library systems nationwide.
City leaders must hear our voices loud and clear: fund our Libraries!
