$50 Million Proposed in New S.D. Taxes, Fees : Government: City manager offers council options toward paying for its wish list of programs.

San Diego City Manager John Lockwood, seeking more revenue to pay for a wish list of new programs tentatively established by the City Council, proposed more than $50 million in new taxes and fees Tuesday. The council could adopt them when it tackles the fiscal 1991 budget again Thursday.

Included in the options are a proposal to generate $10 million by charging for parking at city beaches and Mission Bay Park; a 5% residential utility users tax that would add about $44 annually to utility bills; and a 10% utility users tax for business and industry instead of the 5% tax that Lockwood suggested Feb. 8.

Lockwood would also add $5 million to business taxes and take $4.3 million in city hotel tax funds from arts and promotional programs to spend on other city needs.

When coupled with a $20-million property-tax increase approved Feb. 8, $13 million in new development fees and other tax proposals that may go on the ballot June 5, the $53.3 million in new suggested taxes and fees would balance $155.4 million in new spending that the council tentatively endorsed Feb. 8.

The spending package includes $54 million for a housing trust fund for the poor; $8 million for 400 new jail beds; $25 million for a new police and fire communications system and $12.8 million additional police officers.

The council has until Feb. 26 to determine which of the proposed new taxes and fees it will place on the June 5 ballot for approval by voters. In addition to the Feb. 8 package tentatively approved, council members have said they will reverse their decision to enact a $20-million tax to fund city employees’ retirement system and place that before voters as well.

“If anything is going to go on the June ballot, we need to docket it for next week,” when the council will make final decisions on tax increase proposals going before voters, Lockwood said. However, the council has more time to enact new taxes and fees that do not need voter approval.

In his latest budget report, Lockwood also offered council members the option of living within the $432.6 million that definitely will be available when fiscal 1991 begins July 1. That revenue, however, will not even allow the city to keep services at levels provided by this year’s $402 million budget, Lockwood said.

In addition to forgoing much of the new spending desired by the council members, police response time would increase, library hours would be cut back, all recreation centers and pools would be closed, after-school recreation programs would be eliminated, improvements to Mission Bay Park would be put off, and the city’s weed-abatement program would be eliminated, according to the report.

In addition, Lockwood would reallocate $12 million from the $33 million now spent on promotional and arts programs toward other city needs.