NewzSAN DIEGO (KGTV) Councilmember Raul Campillo says San Diego has the money to reopen 13 closed Mission Bay bathrooms and he wants the mayor to act now."We have the money to do it. I frankly can't believe it," Campillo said.Campillo is pointing to funds freed up from a ballot measure the city decided not to put on the November ballot. He says that money should go toward reversing the bathroom closures, which came earlier this month as part of the city's adopted budget, a cut the entire City Council voted on to help address a budget deficit.Campillo says he warned against the closures during budget revisions and suggested cutting more managers and supervisors at City Hall instead, though he ultimately voted to approve the budget.In a memo to Campillo, Mayor Todd Gloria said he is also concerned about the impact of the bathroom closures, but said no funding has been identified that could reopen every Mission Bay bathroom this fiscal year.
Gloria said it would be premature to commit the ballot measure money, as it may be needed elsewhere.The mayor's office did not respond to a request for additional comment.The closures have frustrated visitors to the popular recreational area. A sign reading "Restroom Closed" greets anyone who walks up to one of the shuttered facilities, along with a QR code directing them to the nearest open bathroom, in at least one case, about a 10-minute walk away.Jan Jarrell ran into the problem on a Tuesday morning while waiting for a friend."I said, OK, well I'm headed to the nearest bathroom. Didn't know that the joke was on me," Jarrell said."As I got closer I realized no, the whole bathroom is closed," Jarrell said.Jarrell had a message for city leaders."No, you know, go back.
Go back to it and do your homework and figure something else out," Jarrell said.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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