By SDCN Staff
San Diego, CA—On Tuesday, the City of San Diego unveiled its proposed $2.1 billion General Fund budget for the 2026 fiscal year, outlining sweeping cuts across multiple departments, with the San Diego Public Library system taking one of the hardest hits.
Under the draft plan, library funding would be reduced by more than $8 million. If approved by the San Diego City Council, all 37 public library branches would close on Sundays and Mondays beginning July 1. While the proposal preserves core community programs and services during the remaining five days of operation, the cutback significantly reduces public access to library facilities.
Patrick Stewart, CEO of the Library Foundation SD, responded to the announcement with strong concerns.
“Being this underfunded is not normal. It is not sustainable for the San Diego Public Library to continue to serve their communities at the level expected by its patrons when the City continues to slash money from the library budget year-after-year,” Stewart said in a statement.
Acknowledging the City’s fiscal challenges, Stewart said he was relieved that vital services — including early literacy programs, Homework Help Centers, and workforce development resources — would remain intact despite the proposed cuts.
“San Diegans depend on these core programs,” Stewart said. “But we need to build a plan that will allow all 37 library locations to be open to San Diegans seven days a week.”
According to the Library Foundation SD, the City’s library system is already operating on a lean budget compared to its peers. San Diego’s per-capita library funding is currently less than 70 percent of the California state average. Additionally, the city’s spending on library security exceeds the budget for books, materials, and digital resources — a stark contrast to San Diego County, which invests 3.5 times more in library materials than the City of San Diego.
The City’s Public Library Department faces over $50 million in deferred maintenance issues, with no dedicated funding currently available to address those repairs.
City leaders are expected to debate the proposed budget in the coming weeks, with public hearings and amendments likely before a final budget is adopted.
