With revenues down significantly, the adopted budget is balanced through a combination of spending reductions and use of financial reserves or “rainy day funds”. At $19.3M, the FY 20-21 adopted budget for General Fund expenditures is about $2M below the amount forecasted for “status quo operations”, and $1.1M below the pre-pandemic budget for FY 19-20.
Impacts on City services from this level of budget reductions are unavoidable. However, these cuts were designed and implemented in ways to minimize the effects on the community. Further budget reductions, if needed, would likely require significant changes in the level and/or scope of services provided by the City.
FY 20-21 budget reductions include:
- Reduction of three full-time positions (including one officer) and the K-9 unit in the Police services contract.
- Reduction in neighborhood park maintenance through eliminating contract services and bringing maintenance of all parks in-house, with no increase in staffing.
- Reduction of 23% in funding for the Recreation and Community Services Program (the funding for these services is based on a percentage of the City’s largest revenues)
- Elimination of almost all General Fund support for Capital Improvement Program projects.
- 50% reduction in contributions to funds for vehicle replacement and long-term building maintenance (100% of contributions for FY 19-20 were eliminated as part of the budget reductions for that year).
- Salary savings from an agreement with City’s management and part-time staff to forgo a 3% increase for FY 20-21.
- Other reductions include significant cuts to the non-personnel budgets for all operating departments (including the Fire/EMS service contract), reduction to the Legal Services budget, and continued deferral of several one-time projects.
Learn more at the City Budget page.