Daily Business Report: Tuesday, December 9, 2025
County Could Tap Reserves to Retroactively Cover Bonuses
By Lisa Halverstadt | Voice of San Diego
County officials are proposing to dip into rainy-day funds to pay for millions of dollars in bonuses for county employees.
In October, the county paid $18.1 million in bonuses to thousands of workers following labor deals calling for $1,000 lump-sum payments if supervisors changed the county’s reserve policy. Democrats on the Board of Supervisors approved the policy change freeing up more reserve funds, but they lacked the four needed votes to actually transfer money from the county’s reserve fund. Their latest approach will only require three votes.
County officials initially planned to absorb bonuses they had projected would total nearly $25 million. Yet the bonuses came as they also faced new costs from the criminal justice reform measure Proposition 36 and upcoming federal cuts.
South Bay Residents at Risk from Long-Term Toxic Gas Exposure
By MacKenzie Elmer | Voice of San Diego
The toxic gas turns its victims’ blood green by chemically altering proteins. Hundreds of millions of years ago, after volcanic eruptions destroyed oxygen in the world’s oceans, bacteria took over and transferred so much of this lethal gas into the air that almost everything on the planet died.
But it’s also something the human body produces. This gas relaxes blood vessels, which is partly why scientists think it could cure erectile dysfunction or aid in slowing down bodily functions to keep someone alive.
Two molecules of hydrogen bound to one of sulfur create hydrogen sulfide gas, a stinky vapor that wafts from sewer grates, swamps and oil refineries. Decomposing organic matter release its widely identifiable odor of rotten eggs — the scent of death.
By Deborah Brennan| CalMatters
Hours after a November storm, the Tijuana River flooded a grove of trees in Imperial Beach, gushed through a row of calverts and exploded into mounds of fetid foam.
This is ground zero for the contaminated river, which sickens thousands of people in southern San Diego County.
“The Tijuana River is one of, if not the most polluted, river in the entire United States,” said San Diego County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre, who viewed the overflowing river wearing black rain boots and a hot pink respirator mask. “The river is carrying dangerous chemicals, pollutants, pathogens and toxic gases that are impacting South San Diego communities.”
