Michael Smolens: Is retrenchment ahead for San Diego?

San Diego’s city and county governments continue to face budget shortfalls that have been years in the making. Significant federal spending cuts could make them much worse.

Oddly, both local governments instead could experience revenue windfalls if a bunch of local tax increases being discussed are passed. The odds of that happening might be sketchy, certainly if every tax currently on the table moves forward.

In particular, city voters could be overwhelmed by being asked to dig deeper into their pockets after an array of fee increases — from trash collection to parking to use of recreational facilities —  recently kicked in. (Some of the fees, notably for parking in Balboa Park, are now estimated to bring in less than original estimates.)

Then there’s the history of local voters rejecting city and countywide taxes for general government services and transportation.

The city of San Diego already is faced with a growing budget gap of at least a couple of hundred million dollars. But a further threat to its revenue comes by way of a possible ballot measure to repeal the trash pickup fee assessed last year on single-family homes that is being considered by the conservative-leaning Lincoln Club and others.

Support for the trash fee was always tenuous. A 2022 ballot measure allowing the city to charge it was narro...