Power to the people

“To build a new city hall, or not to build a new city hall,
that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler on the ballot to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous campaigning,
Or to take arms against a sea of angry voter worries,
And by opposing end them?”
—Hamlet, contemplating a new civic center complex

A new city hall: either a money-saving monument to good government and environmental responsibility that will launch San Diego into the 21st century, or a massive boondoggle in which the city hands millions of dollars to wealthy builders while laying off cops and firefighters. Only you can decide. Probably.

Last week saw the notion of voting on a city hall project gather momentum from across the political spectrum. City Councilmember Carl DeMaio originated the idea of a vote two weeks ago, when he suggested the City Charter might require it. Then Mayor Jerry Sanders said last week he believed a vote would be necessary regardless of the charter issues. And in a recent conversation with CityBeat, City Council President Ben Hueso also seemed to think a vote would be wise for such a major project. So, assuming the city can come to terms with developer Gerding Edlen on the costs, risks and rewards of a project, there are good odds that voters will have a chance to decide whether this version of a new city hall ever sees the light of day.

But ballot measures are never easy to pass. Consultant Jennifer Tierney calls it “managing erosion of support.” Raising doubts about any measure is easy, and it’s not hard to cloud the conversation with questions and uncertainties. Tierney is particularly pessimistic about this project, with a down economy and the city facing an enormous budget gap if the state of California decides to withhold property- and gas-tax revenues that usually flow to cities.

“Do you think the public is going to build a city hall when you cannot staff police and fire stations?” she said. “I just don’t see it.”

But political consultant Tom Shepard is optimistic. Shepard guided both the convention center expansion and the Petco Park bond initiative to electoral victories, so he has some specialized knowledge of the field, though he told CityBeat no one has spoken to him about this project yet.

“Like many ballot measures, this one would depend largely on who is most effective at framing the issue,” Shepard said. “If the question voters think they’re answering is whether or not the city needs a new city hall, then the current economic conditions are going to weigh heavily against it. If the issue is framed in terms of short- and long-term cost savings, I think it’s a good time and it has a pretty good chance to be successful.”

The question, then, becomes who will get to do that framing, and how well funded will they be. And that will depend entirely on the final nature of the project. Last week, Sanders laid out seven things he considers crucial to the project, the most prominent of which is that the project has to save the city money immediately, in its first year of operation.

Assuming that the final deal worked out by the city can do that (and Gerding Edlen representative Tom Cody told CityBeat he doesn’t see any of Sanders’ conditions as major hurdles to a deal), Sanders will campaign for the project.
He’ll likely be joined by Hueso, who said he would campaign for the project, and City Councilmember Todd Gloria. They’ll be joined by a coalition of civic groups that already include the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown San Diego Partnership.

“Whether labor joins with them in a labor-business coalition is crucial. That’s what got the ballpark and the convention center built,” said Erik Bruvold, director of the National University System Institute for Policy Research.

Evan McLaughlin, political director for the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, which represents more than 100 unions, said the council hasn’t discussed the project yet. Gerding Edlen plans to get a substantial portion of its funding from the National Electricians Benefit Foundation, the electricians’ pension plan, and that kind of funding usually means the project will be a union-friendly endeavor. And that, in turn, means labor will likely sign on.

Environmental groups like the Sierra Club and San Diego Coastkeeper could also be influential, but neither group has taken a position yet on the project, though Gerding Edlen hopes to win their support by including several different sustainable-energy components and making sure the project meets some of the toughest Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.

The forces arrayed against the project are mostly economic: The malaise that most people feel, plus the way public employees are portrayed as already over-compensated. So, who would lead the fight against the project? Most people assume it would be DeMaio, who has opposed the project at every step. In his run for office, DeMaio raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, so he could be a formidable opponent, and consultants interviewed for this story agree that the public trusts him on financial issues.

But Erica Mendelson, DeMaio’s spokesperson, gave a less firm answer for DeMaio’s position than expected. She said that position would depend “on if the city moves into negotiations and the result of the [exclusive negotiating agreement].

“His focus continues to be ensuring that the flaws in the financial projections are corrected and that the project be put to a public vote to maximize transparency and public participation,” Mendelson said.

Mendelson’s statement indicates a softening of DeMaio’s stance. When CityBeat spoke to Shepard, he never conceded that DeMaio was the clear leader of the opposition. He suggested instead that DeMaio could be brought around to supporting the project if it saves taxpayer dollars.

“So if he is persuaded to sign on, then there isn’t an obvious opponent,” Shepard said. “I don’t see a credible, well-funded opposition lining up against it.”

Then again, it’s easy for people to say they’re in favor of the project before the exact details have been revealed. The City Council is tentatively scheduled to decide whether to go into exclusive negotiations with Gerding Edlen sometime in mid-July. And while Sanders wants savings right away, that would likely require selling city property to the developer to raise the money. Gloria would prefer to hold onto the land, and Hueso indicated he’s more interested in maximizing long-term savings. If there is to be unity, everyone will have to find something to like in the final project. Either way, voters could have their say as soon as next June. 

Write to ericw@sdcitybeat.com and editor@sdcitybeat.com.