Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Santa Rosa finance staff report $5 million operating shortfall, warn of $17 million structural gap
Summary
Interim CFO Scott Wagner told the City Council the general fund finished the year better than expected but the city still faces a structural deficit driven by CalPERS liabilities and stagnant sales tax; staff proposed a tiered, department-level approach to future reductions and asked council for principles on reserves.
City of Santa Rosa officials on Tuesday gave a midyear general fund update that showed the city finished the year with smaller losses than projected but still faces a multi‑million dollar structural deficit.
Interim Chief Financial Officer Scott Wagner and Budget Manager Veronica Connor told the City Council that one‑time gains and midyear reductions produced better-than-expected results, but the city’s long‑term outlook remains problematic. "We still remain in a structural deficit,” Wagner said, adding staff’s current projection shows a gap of about $17.5 million that will require either revenue increases or service reductions.
Wagner told council that a combination of actions adopted over the past 18 months — $15.2 million in ongoing reductions, $10.4 million…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
