San Diego City Council says no to putting convention center measure on November ballot
A divided San Diego City Council said no Thursday to putting a measure on the ballot to expand the city’s bayfront convention center, rebuffing Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s pleas to do so.
The council had been asked to move the measure forward after a citizens’ initiative that would have boosted the hotel tax to finance the expansion project failed to secure enough valid signatures to make it onto the ballot. The measure would have also funded homeless initiatives and road repairs.
The vote was 4-4, with four of the council’s Democratic members — Barbara Bry, Georgette Gomez, David Alvarez and Myrtle Cole — rejecting the mayor’s request to deviate from the council’s own policies in order to place the measure on the ballot. Absent was Councilman Chris Ward.
Said Faulconer following the meeting’s conclusion, "Four members of the City Council put politics over progress. We hear all the time about the need for homeless services, the need to repair our roads and the need to expand our convention center. The council had the ability to put that on the ballot -- to let San Diegans decide -- and unfortunately four members said no."
Read more: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/tourism/sd-fi-convention-center-ballot-20180809-story.html
