SD Council members: No more VIP boxes

San Diego City Council members would no longer get access to VIP boxes at Petco Park and Qualcomm Stadium under a proposal floated Tuesday by three newly sworn-in council members.

In a memo, council members Carl DeMaio, Todd Gloria and Sherri Lightner said the tickets should instead be used to recognize community volunteers or be raffled off to charities and 501(c)3 organizations.

No other use of the tickets would be permitted, according to the memo.

Their proposal follows a recent decision by the California Fair Political Practices Commission that restricts city officials from accepting free tickets for events at municipally owned venues.

The state policy requires public officials to treat the tickets as gifts, subject to a $420 annual limit.

During today’s City Council meeting, DeMaio said the proposal for the use of stadium tickets by San Diego officials will be docketed at the Rules, Open Government and Intergovernmental Relations Committee after City Attorney Jan Goldsmith has a chance to review it.