Glendale presents proposed FY2026 operating budget, sets May and June adoption dates

Glendale City staff on April 1 presented the City Manager'recommended operating budget for fiscal year 2026 and outlined the adoption timeline and next steps.

The city'wide proposed operating budget totals $709,000,000, with the general fund representing $337,000,000, Public Safety (police and fire) accounting for roughly 65% of the general fund, and 13.25 new full'time equivalent positions proposed, staff said. "For the tenth year in a row, council has elected to not increase property taxes in the city of Glendale," staff stated during the presentation.

Why it matters: the workshop starts the formal budget review process that leads to a tentative budget adoption on May 13, a final budget and property tax levy adoption on June 10, and the property tax adoption later in June; after tentative adoption, the overall budget total may not increase. The council and staff will use the remaining workshops (next on April 22) to plug council changes into the five'year financial forecast and test affordability.

Key facts from staff presentation: - Total proposed operating budget (all funds): $709,000,000. General fund: $337,000,000; enterprise funds: $152,000,000; internal service funds: $122,000,000; special revenue funds: $86,000,000; vehicle replacement fund: $12,000,000. (Presentation slide figures provided by budget staff.) - The recommended baseline approach holds the FY25 adopted budget (less one'time items) as the starting point and treats most increases as contractual or regulatory. - Personnel changes: 13.25 proposed FTEs at an ongoing cost of about $1,600,000; recommended non'represented COLA of 3.5% and up to 2% merit; public safety increases per existing memoranda of understanding. - Three citywide supplementals highlighted up front: a $70,000 one'time car allowance for displaced staff during the DCRP move, a $2,200,000 increase in fleet shop charges, and a $1,500,000 increase to employee Health Savings Account (HSA) funding.

Budget process and next steps: staff emphasized the council's role in the remaining workshops. "Items that receive council consensus will be taken back and added to the financial models by the budget and finance department to determine their affordability," Budget Administrator Amy Lindsay told the council. Staff will return April 22 with combined operating and capital changes; the tentative budget adoption is scheduled for May 13, the final adoption and property tax levy vote on June 10, and the formal property tax levy adoption later in June.

Context and background: presenters noted Glendale historically budgets conservatively, typically budgeting more revenue and less expenditure than actual results. Staff said that the proposed increases are largely driven by contractual obligations and inflation in contracts, supplies and services rather than new policy initiatives.

Less critical details: staff provided a binder with department tabs, supplemental requests recommended and not recommended, FTE schedules and the five'year financial forecast for council review. The council used the workshop to ask clarifying questions of individual departments; departments remained available to bring subject matter staff as needed at the next workshop.

Ending: Council members and staff agreed to continue the detailed department reviews at the April 22 workshop and to run proposed council changes through the city'manager's affordability models before any formal adoption votes.