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Los Banos council adopts $27.5 million budget with hires for public safety and infrastructure
Summary
The Los Banos City Council adopted the fiscal year 2025–26 budget, approving roughly $27.52 million in expenditures and funding a package of personnel and capital priorities including public safety hires, parks and infrastructure projects and reserves set at 30 percent.
The Los Banos City Council on June 18 adopted the fiscal year 2025–26 budget by voice vote, approving estimated revenues of about $27,540,000 and estimated expenditures of about $27,520,000.
Finance Director Moreno said the budget reflects state-mandated calculations for the city’s appropriation limit and updated revenue estimates, including a 6.07% increase in the property tax base that raised the city’s projections. "The municipal budget serves both a financial blueprint and a policy document," Moreno told the council at the public hearing, noting the city’s approach to reserves and one-time expenditures.
The council’s adoption funds 18 of 19 authorized new positions across police, community development, public works and facilities, and increases the general fund contingency. The adopted document keeps an operating surplus of about $15,143, maintains an unallocated general fund balance near $10,950,000 and sets a target reserve of 30% (about $8,170,000), the finance presentation said.
Nut graf: The plan preserves reserves while directing new money to council priorities. City leaders said the budget balances near-term service needs — adding staff for public safety, parks and streets — with an eye to long-term infrastructure work, especially street rehabilitation.
Most important items in the adopted budget include a near-$2,000,000 allocation for public safety and homeless initiatives, about $1,090,000 for parks, and more than $14,000,000 for infrastructure projects (funding sources and capital project schedules were left as shown in the packet). The budget also includes $822,000 in one-time expenditures and increased funding for a spay-and-neuter program (raised in the document to $50,000).
Councilmember Deborah Lewis praised the work of staff and department heads and framed the plan as both fiscally cautious and forward-looking: "This budget reflects both a fiscal responsibility and the commitment to investing in the future of Los Banas," she said during the council debate.
Department heads described how the budget would support ongoing projects. Parks and recreation work noted in the packet — Shaughnessy Park and AG Sports Complex improvements — will continue under the approved appropriation. Interim City Manager Gary Breese said execution of capital projects and hires is now the administration’s priority.
The council also reviewed but did not fund an assistant city manager position that appears on an internal personnel authorization list; members asked that any future request to hire the position come back to the council with a formal justification. On fire staffing, members discussed funding for battalion chiefs: two of three battalion-chief positions discussed in budget reviews will be funded now, and council asked staff to revisit the third position for midyear consideration if operational needs require it.
The council approved the budget as Resolution No. 6948. The vote was recorded by voice as "ayes have it." The budget was the product of multiple public sessions (including lengthy reviews on May and June dates) and a public hearing held June 18.
Ending: The council set its next regular meeting for July 16; staff said they will begin implementing the adopted spending plan immediately and return with any midyear adjustments or hiring requests that require council approval.
