Two San Diego County supervisors rolled out a multimillion-dollar proposal on Wednesday aimed at shoring up arts funding just as the City of San Diego looks to pause municipal arts grants in its draft FY2027 budget. The package, introduced by Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer and Monica Montgomery Steppe, would total as much as $2.75 million, with roughly $2.25 million as ongoing annual investments. The County Board is scheduled to vote on the proposal on May 5.
According to NBC 7 San Diego, the plan would create an Artist Grant Program ($1 million annually), an Artist Space Grant Program ($500,000 annually), an Artist-in-Residence Program ($250,000 annually), a binational creative-economy investment ($250,000 annually), and a one-time $500,000 investment in a Black Arts and Culture District in Encanto. Lawson-Remer said the proposal would "launch and sustain" new artist programs and prioritize investments in underserved neighborhoods.
What the plan would fund
Arts leaders are casting the package as targeted support for working artists and neighborhood cultural hubs that have been squeezed in recent years. Gaidi Finnie of the San Diego African American Museum of Fine Arts and Bob Lehman of San Diego ART Matters both praised the focus on Encanto and the expanded artist supports, per Times of San Diego.
How it intersects with the city's budget
The county move lands just as Mayor Todd Gloria's draft FY2027 budget pauses arts and cultural grants while tackling a roughly $118 million structural deficit, according to the Mayor's Office. That pause has real consequences for small organizations, and NBC 7 San Diego reported the changes roughly equal a $12 million reduction in arts funding under the current proposal.
Why the county is stepping in
Lawson-Remer and Montgomery Steppe argue that county resources can serve as a backstop while the city works through its fiscal crunch, and they want the county to pursue designation as a Local Arts Agency through the California Arts Council and to coordinate with philanthropies. County arts-commission materials and planning attachments show the county has been building a community-driven arts strategy that could host new grant cycles and residency programs, according to County of San Diego documents.
What to watch next
The Board of Supervisors is slated to vote on the measure at its May 5 meeting, while the city's budget review includes council hearings the week of May 4–8 and a final adoption target of June 9, per the Mayor's Office. If the county package is approved, supervisors say it would jump-start grants and space-access programs this year, but arts organizations will be watching whether those investments are enough to make up for paused city support, as reported by city materials.
