Gloria's Second Term Begins Amid Failed Projects, Budget Crisis, and Council Revolt

Mayor Gloria Has Been a ‘Disappointment’ to His Allies and Supporters – OB Rag

Mayor's Approval Rating Plummets to 33% as Administration Struggles to Deliver on Major Initiatives Despite Democratic Supermajority

SAN DIEGO — Mayor Todd Gloria began his second term in December facing a political landscape dramatically different from his triumphant 2020 election, when he promised to bring "Big City Energy" to California's second-largest city and solve "the biggest problems of our time."

Instead, Gloria's first term ended with his approval rating at just 33 percent—lower than Donald Trump's—according to a November 2024 poll by Competitive Edge Research. His administration has been marked by high-profile defeats on major initiatives, an inability to manage City Council relationships, and failure to address the structural budget deficit that constrains all city operations.

Despite controlling an unprecedented 9-0 Democratic City Council, Gloria has struggled to advance key policies. His year-long effort to create the city's largest homeless shelter collapsed in February 2025. A $4 billion redevelopment of the Midway district was struck down by the California Supreme Court in December 2024. His ambitious regional transit plan imploded after he withdrew support for its key funding mechanism in 2021.

"Normal politicians over promise and the decent ones deliver at least something," said Kyra Greene, executive director of the Center on Policy Initiatives. "In every single area I can't name something significant that [Gloria] has done."

The Fundamental Challenge: Structural Budget Deficit

The underlying problem limiting Gloria's effectiveness—and any San Diego mayor's options—is the city's persistent structural budget deficit, the gap between recurring revenues and recurring expenditures. Personnel costs, including pensions and benefits negotiated with city employee unions, consume an ever-larger share of the budget, leaving fewer resources for capital projects or new initiatives.

Gloria pledged to fix this deficit "once and for all," but has made limited progress despite implementing controversial new fees and budget cuts. His biggest revenue increase—a new fee on residential trash collection—now faces potential repeal that could push the city toward insolvency. He is unfortunately in the situation of the Captain of the Titanic, trying to rearrange the deck chairs and avoid the iceberg dead ahead. It will be difficult to fix the persistent deficit without offending taxpayers, residents, or employees. Compromises tend to offend everyone.

A proposed 63 percent water rate increase met fierce resistance from the Council. Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, typically a Gloria ally, called it "dead on arrival" from the dais.

Councilmember Kent Lee accused Gloria's administration of "eroding" trust: "It's time city leadership own up to its responsibility to clearly communicate challenges the city faces rather than pass blame onto anyone else."

Major Defeats Define First Term

Warehouse Shelter: A Year-Long Failure

Gloria's most ambitious homelessness initiative ended in complete defeat after nearly a year of effort. In April 2024, he proposed converting a 65,000-square-foot warehouse in Middletown to house 1,000 homeless individuals at Kettner Boulevard and Vine Street.

The tentative 30-year lease would cost $1.95 per square foot with annual 3.5% rent increases and $12.5 million in facility maintenance costs, requiring the city to find $29.8 million annually in new revenue.

The city's Independent Budget Analyst raised alarms. The IBA warned the deal could lead to another costly real estate misstep like 101 Ash Street, noting the lease was above market rate and would cost San Diego $72 million over 30 years.

After more than seven hours of discussion on July 22, 2024, the Council voted 7-2 to postpone the agreement. Council President Sean Elo-Rivera stated: "I can't support the lease proposed today. There are too many critical questions that remain unanswered in my mind."

On February 7, 2025, Gloria finally acknowledged defeat: "After a year of negotiations and multiple hearings, we have come to the conclusion that the proposed homeless shelter campus at Kettner and Vine can no longer advance."

Gloria's team believed they had secured the necessary votes—particularly from Councilmember Marni von Wilpert—only to be blindsided when the vote failed, according to Voice of San Diego reporting.

Supreme Court Strikes Down Midway Redevelopment

The $4 billion Midway Rising project to transform the Sports Arena district suffered a decisive legal defeat. On December 30, 2024, the California Supreme Court denied San Diego's petition for review of Measure C, exhausting the city's legal options and requiring the trial court to rescind the ballot measure and restore the 30-foot height limit.

The Court declined to hear the appeal after an October appellate court ruling that the city did not adequately assess in its environmental review how taller buildings could affect air flow, construction noise and Peregrine falcons' ability to nest.

This marked the second time voters approved removing the height limit, and the second time courts struck down the city's efforts. The Supreme Court also denied the city's request to depublish the appellate court ruling, making it binding precedent and a notable addition to CEQA case law.

Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta submitted an amicus letter arguing the case "affects a matter of the utmost statewide concern: California's severe housing shortage."

Transit Plan Collapse

Gloria's reversal on regional transit funding represents one of his most significant policy failures. As interim mayor in 2013, he advocated for ambitious public transit expansion and later supported hiring Hasan Ikhrata to lead SANDAG in developing world-class transit infrastructure.

Ikhrata's plan relied partly on a 4-cent-per-mile fee for motorists, generating revenue while discouraging driving. The fee would not take effect until 2030, when SANDAG aimed to make public transit free for everyone.

When conservative board members framed the proposal as a "driving tax," Gloria retreated. On December 3, 2021, he announced he would ask SANDAG staff to provide funding alternatives without the road usage charge, stating: "Our region has not done nearly enough to expand access to public transit. Residents must have feasible and accessible transportation alternatives."

The SANDAG board passed the 2021 plan by weighted vote of 57.8% to 42.1%, directing staff to find alternative funding solutions.

However, SANDAG staff later informed the board they would not amend the 2021 plan but would instead consider the board's direction in a new 2025 plan. The road usage charge remained in the official plan, and Gloria's motion to remove it failed.

Ikhrata left SANDAG, telling Voice of San Diego: "The minute they took out the most important element of plan, I knew it was not just [the end of] me but the end of the great creative idea that San Diego needs."

Council Revolt: Loss of Vote-Counting Ability

Gloria's relationship with the City Council has deteriorated to the point where his administration cannot reliably predict outcomes. A City Council staffer told Voice of San Diego: "Every time they insist they have five votes for something, they never do. They don't know how to count."

The breakdown reached a crisis in January 2025 when Councilmember Henry Foster successfully moved from the dais to roll back the city's ADU density bonus program—a key housing initiative that had produced thousands of units. Seven of eight councilmembers present voted with Foster.

Foster told Voice of San Diego he had repeatedly raised concerns with Gloria's planning director but received only refusals. "[The mayor] publicly said, 'I didn't even know Councilmember Foster had an issue.' I think that is just disingenuous. And if you did not have the knowledge that I had a problem, how are you going to [run this city.]"

Meanwhile, Council President Sean Elo-Rivera has filled the leadership vacuum, championing major initiatives including tenant protections, a ban on rental price-fixing algorithms, a $25 minimum wage for tourism workers, and a controversial $5,000-per-bedroom tax on vacation rentals.

Gloria told Voice of San Diego he characterizes the relationship as "extremely functional," noting that only a single digit number of votes had not gone his way.

Vaccine Mandate: Political Capital Squandered

Gloria's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for city workers consumed significant political capital while creating lasting resentment, particularly within the police department, and ultimately made him appear both heavy-handed and weak.

The mandate, announced August 26, 2021, required all city employees to be fully vaccinated by December 1, 2021 as a condition of employment. The Council approved it 8-1 on November 29, 2021.

Gloria stated: "The way out of this pandemic is through vaccines and the City of San Diego will lead by example."

More than 500 SDPD officers were unvaccinated as of September 2021, with more than 300 not submitting responses to the vaccine questionnaire. NBC 7 reported at least 629 officers remained unvaccinated when deadlines arrived. Union officials said 130 officers left the force.

Brandon Gibson, a 10-year SDPD veteran and SWAT team member, quit rather than comply: "I appreciate science, but I have concerns about serious side effects—which health officials say are rare—and don't agree with the city's mandate. It's really infringing on our freedoms."

Critically, Gloria never followed through on his threat to fire employees who remained unvaccinated. One police officer told Voice of San Diego: "A lot of people can't get over that."

A Gloria ally told Voice of San Diego the episode highlighted his weakness as an executive: "The police chief, I don't think he had fear Todd would fire him... A forceful executive would say, 'Take care of it.' Todd's a nice guy. He likes making people happy and telling them what they want to hear."

Major Achievement: The Camping Ban

Gloria's most significant legislative achievement was the 2023 Unsafe Camping Ordinance, secured through aggressive political pressure.

After nearly 10 hours of public discussion on June 13, 2023, the City Council voted 5-4 to make camping illegal citywide if shelter beds are available, and regardless of availability near schools, parks, transit hubs and waterways.

Gloria held a press conference before the vote flanked by uniformed police and firefighters, directly addressing TV cameras: "I want you all, when you report this tonight, to make sure you understand where the majority of San Diegans are. They support encampments. We don't. We will pass this ordinance."

The vote came after two hours of public testimony nearly unanimous in opposition.

The visible homeless population downtown decreased significantly. The annual homeless census showed a 13.5 percent citywide reduction in 2024, though critics argued the policy merely displaced people.

The camping ban represented a sharp reversal from Gloria's campaign promise of "no more criminalizing the existence of San Diego's poorest and sickest residents."

Former Mayor Kevin Faulconer told Voice of San Diego: "Unless you intervene and enforce the rest is just empty rhetoric." However, Faulconer noted the camping ban wasn't really needed since the city already had encroachment laws that barred people from blocking sidewalks.

Housing: Mixed Results

Gloria has achieved measurable success on housing production. In 2023, San Diego issued more housing permits than in decades, nearly doubling 2022's numbers following housing reforms that eased construction. The Union-Tribune reported 9,693 homes approved for construction in 2023, the most since at least 2005.

Through Community Plan updates, his administration significantly increased allowable housing density in neighborhoods like University City and Clairemont. Rents decreased for the first time in 15 years in 2024, albeit by less than 1 percent.

However, nearly 60% of San Diego homes had listing prices exceeding $1 million in 2023. The median home price of $910,000 makes it the fourth most expensive among the 30 largest U.S. cities. Average monthly rent of $3,175 is the nation's third-highest.

Gloria also successfully negotiated vacation rental regulations and a 10-year SDG&E contract renewal—issues that had stymied previous councils.

Defenders and Critics

Despite concerns, the San Diego Union-Tribune endorsed Gloria's re-election in October 2024: "For all our gripes, San Diego is in good shape compared to its California peers. Crime remains low and the economy is doing well."

Will Rodriguez-Kennedy, chair of the San Diego County Democratic Party, told Voice of San Diego: "The reality is that the problems that plague our city, they are long-term problems that go back to multiple generations of leadership."

But critics are harsher. Greene of the Center on Policy Initiatives said she had more meetings with Republican Mayor Faulconer than with Gloria. Environmental activist Livia Beaudin told Voice of San Diego: "He says the right things when it comes to making unpopular decisions but he doesn't walk the walk. It's been a disappointment."

One person who has known Gloria for over a decade told Voice of San Diego: "It's so interesting to me because he's such a talented politician. He's smart. He's well-spoken... What's really kind of wild about his time as mayor is that he hasn't been very good at that."

Gloria's Defense

In interviews with Voice of San Diego, Gloria defended his record: "Being a big city mayor is a difficult job. These number of years have been challenging. And that would've been true just because they included a pandemic and federal challenges and other issues."

"I believe we're making progress. And when taking the longer view, I believe that this time will be seen as what was necessary to get the city where it needs to go."

He maintains he is the same politician he has always been: "I am the same person who put his name on the ballot in 2007 to be the District 3 city councilmember on a pro-housing, pro-public safety, pro-infrastructure platform."

Looking Forward

As Gloria enters his second term, the fundamental challenge remains: San Diego's structural budget deficit limits all policy options. Personnel costs consume growing budget shares, leaving fewer resources for capital projects or new initiatives.

The Middletown shelter would have required $29.8 million annually. Water rate increases face political resistance but are necessary for infrastructure. The trash fee faces repeal but addresses real budget needs.

Gloria's inability to solve this structural problem—despite pledging to do so—means his administration operates within severe constraints that force difficult choices inevitably displeasing stakeholders.

The question for his second term is whether he can develop the political skills and fiscal strategies to address these fundamental challenges, or whether structural problems will continue overwhelming his administration's efforts.

---

Verified Sources and Formal Citations

Court Documents

1. California Supreme Court. Order denying petition, City of San Diego v. Superior Court (Save Our Access), December 30, 2024.
2. Court of Appeal, Fourth District. Save Our Access v. City of San Diego, October 2024.
3. Martin v. Boise, 902 F.3d 1031 (9th Cir. 2018).

Official Government Documents

4. City of San Diego, Mayor's Office. "Mayor Gloria Provides Update on Vaccine Mandate for City Employees." November 19, 2021. https://www.sandiego.gov/mayor/mayor-gloria-provides-update-vaccine-mandate-city-employees
5. City of San Diego, Mayor's Office. "SANDAG Board Leadership to Ask Staff to Find Alternative Funding Sources for Transportation Plan." December 3, 2021. https://www.sandiego.gov/mayor/sandag-board-leadership-ask-staff-find-alternative-funding-sources-transportation
6. San Diego City Council. Minutes, Unsafe Camping Ordinance votes, June 13 and 27, 2023.
7. San Diego Independent Budget Analyst. Report on Hope @ Vine shelter proposal, July 2024.
8. SANDAG. 2021 Regional Transportation Plan, December 2021.
9. Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta. Amicus letter to California Supreme Court, Measure C appeal, December 2024.

News Organizations

10. Huntsberry, Will. "Mayor Gloria Has Been a 'Disappointment' to His Allies and Supporters." Voice of San Diego, January 14, 2026.
11. Halverstadt, Lisa. "The Middletown Mega Shelter Plan Is Dead." Voice of San Diego, February 7, 2025.
12. Keatts, Andrew. "Mayor Gloria Promised to Kill SANDAG's Driving Fee. SANDAG Now Says It Won't." Voice of San Diego, August 31, 2022.
13. Halverstadt, Lisa. "Morning Report: Supreme Court Shuts Door on Height Limit." Voice of San Diego, January 6, 2026.
14. San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board. "Endorsement: Despite missteps, Todd Gloria is the clear choice for mayor." October 10, 2024.
15. Nelson, Blake. "Midway District's 30-foot height limit will be restored following California Supreme Court ruling." San Diego Union-Tribune, January 5, 2026.
16. Nelson, Blake. "San Diego's budget experts appear critical of a plan to turn a warehouse into a massive homeless shelter." San Diego Union-Tribune, July 16, 2024.
17. Various reporters. "Divided San Diego City Council passes homeless camping ban." San Diego Union-Tribune, June 13, 2023.
18. Various reporters. "San Diego finalizes controversial homeless camping ban in repeat 5-4 vote." San Diego Union-Tribune, June 27, 2023.
19. Times of San Diego. "San Diego Moves Forward with Employee COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate." November 20, 2021.
20. Times of San Diego. "SANDAG OKs $160 Billion Road and Transit Plan, But Shelves Mileage Tax." December 11, 2021.
21. Times of San Diego. "Mayor Gloria Proposes Converting Building in Middletown to House 1,000 Homeless People." April 5, 2024.
22. Moran, Greg and Hernandez, David. "Court restores Midway District's 30-foot height limit." NBC 7 San Diego, January 6, 2026.
23. Multiple reporters. KPBS, CBS 8 San Diego, ABC 10News San Diego, 2021-2025.
24. Puterski, Steve. "State approves SANDAG transportation plan with road user charge." The Coast News, September 2, 2022.
25. Hernandez, David. "San Diego to move forward with vax mandate despite impasse with police union." Police1.com, November 30, 2021.