What a proposal to improve to storm water management in San Diego looks like

In the aftermath of San Diego's historic Jan. 22 flooding, City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera proposed a November ballot measure dedicated to improving storm water infrastructure. It is not yet clear what the funding mechanism would look like.

San Diegans in single-family homes currently pay 95¢ per month for storm management. That is about one-tenth of what residents in cities like Sacramento and San Jose pay.

"This all means we are relying on an underfunded, outdated, 20^th century storm water system to meet 21^st century challenges and protect lives and property, and it’s getting worse every year. The time for investment in now," said Elo-Rivera.

Old calls for changes to Chollas Creek

The Nonprofit Groundwork San Diego has been calling for changes to Chollas Creek — which overflowed and caused significant damage during that now infamous heavy rainfall -- since long before the floods.

Executive Director Leslie Reynolds believes the cost to San Diegans — if the ballot measure becomes a property tax — would be worthwhile to mitigate the potentially devastating impacts of flooding on their communities.

"We need the longer term solutions that a ballot measure can fund," said Reynolds.

Groundwork believes investment in the storm management system could have an abundance of other benefits, especially if the areas around the creek are turned into parks. The greenspace could help absorb water, mitigate the effects of extreme heat, and increase bike path availability to help improve air quality.

"This is an ecosystem. Chollas Creek can be a beautiful asset to our residents with a rich indigenous history," said Reynolds.

Perspective from an Encanto resident

While Encanto resident Kathleen Harmon is eager to see improvements in her community, she does not think the burden should fall on her and her neighbors to pay for said upgrades. The 92-year-old is currently displaced from her home of decades, after it flooded last week.

"We have been neglected so that I don't feel good about it at all. And I don't think that at 92 years old, living on a built income, we don't have the money," said Harmon.

If the measure does turn out to be a tax, it could be on the ballot alongside several other tax measures. Leaders like Elo-Rivera would have to prove the benefits to Harmon and her neighbors would be tangible.

“If we support the ballot measure, how long is it going to take? There be another storm? You know, I might not even be living, you know, how long will that take?” said Harmon.