San Diego’s nearly $120 million budget deficit is once again taking center stage this week, as city leaders work to balance the 2026-2027 fiscal year budget.
As part of those efforts, city Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera is proposing the Padres take on a larger portion of the ballpark costs to restore funding for local art organizations.
“I think that we should be asking ourselves why the Padres, again who just sold for $3.9 billion are not paying for those services that they rely on to make all that money,” Councilmember for District 9, Sean Elo-Rivera said in a budget review meeting earlier this month.
He proposed reducing the city’s share of the Petco Park expenses.
“I think what we’re doing is subsidizing a multi-billion-dollar enterprise where folks profits are in the billions at the expense of folks who are barely getting by here in San Diego,” Elo-Rivera said.
It’s the city’s latest effort to minimize the city’s proposed cuts on art and culture organizations, which are facing nearly $12 million in cuts.
It’s unclear how many jobs could be impacted by the cuts because no analysis has been done to reflect those figures, according to the budget review meeting.
During that meeting, Councilmember Elo-Rivera raised concerns after noticing an increase in the city’s budgeted transfer from the Transient Occupancy Tax Fund to cover police and fire services during games and special events at Petco Park.
The transfer amount increased because the Petco Park fund had an available balance that was applied to some expenses the year before.
“I see folks begging to maintain funding for arts and culture organizations that serve communities and employ people, San Diegans and we’re going to increase support for a wildly profitable enterprise by 72%. I have a problem with that,” Elo-Rivera said.
In a statement to NBC 7, a Padres spokesperson responded to the councilmember’s remarks, saying the city has a longstanding obligation to keep the public streets around Petco Park safe.
He also said the Padres pay for most police services associated with games and events inside the park, which have totaled $11 million over the last three years.
Adding in part, “The Padres have also invested more than $150 million over the last 14 years to make Petco Park the number No. 1 ballpark in America, a significant return on a civic asset. Councilmember Elo-Rivera’s attempts to distract from the City Council’s chronic fiscal issues do not change the fact that the Padres are not responsible for the $120 million deficit.”
“I think it’s emblematic of a broader issue that we need to wrestle with in this budget of who it is that we’re willing to subsidize and who we are asking to most feel the burden,” Elo-Rivera said at the meeting.
NBC 7 reached out to Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera’s office for an interview or comment and has not heard back.
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