Campillo ballot proposal to keep beach, bay parking free advances

The San Diego City Council’s Rules Committee Wednesday initially approved a proposed ballot measure by Councilman Raul Campillo to keep parking at the city’s beaches and bays free unless voters decide otherwise.

Part of a slate of ballot measures being considered Wednesday by the committee, Campillo’s measure was advanced to a second committee discussion for further consideration. If approved at the second reading, it would advance to the full City Council for final approval and be placed on the ballot in November.

“I brought this item forward in hopes of making sure the city does not repeat the same mistake we saw with the proposed parking fees at Balboa Park,” Campillo said. “This is about making sure access to our most treasured public spaces remains clear, protected and accountable to the people of San Diego — and it’s just one part of a larger series of transparency and accountability initiatives I will be bringing forward in an effort to clean up City Hall and ensure we have the right protocols in place moving forward.”

Parking at beaches and bays in the city is currently free. The ballot measure would insert that practice into the city’s code. It would not apply to existing parking meters or other paid parking programs elsewhere in the city.

If passed by the committee again, Campillo’s office will work with the city attorney and independent budget analyst to “provide preliminary fiscal, operational, and legal analyses of the proposal and draft the framework for a ballot measure,” according to the paperwork filed with the city.