Lancaster details $282 million budget and Measure LC/YM project list, including police expansion and new event center

Lancaster City Manager Trollise Niebla told the City oversight committee Wednesday that the city’s total budget is “282,000,000 ish,” and that about $139,000,000 of that is the general fund.

The presentation summarized four years of spending from local sales tax measures known as Measure LC and Measure YM and laid out the projects and staffing the city plans to support in the coming year, including public safety, parks and recreation, public‑facing events, and economic reinvestment.

Niebla said the city also maintains roughly $48,000,000 in reserves—about 40% of the general fund—and credited the council’s long‑term fiscal approach and local revenue initiatives for the city’s fiscal position. “That is the green bucket, otherwise known as the money that has no strings attached,” Niebla said of the general fund.

Why it matters: The oversight presentation shows how locally approved sales tax measures are being used to expand city services and capital projects rather than one‑time spending. Staff said ongoing programs and debt service tied to prior capital commitments will factor into budgets for years to come.

Key budget and project details

- Measures total: Niebla reported the two measures combined add up to about $43,600,000 in total, roughly $21,800,000 apiece. He said those dollars represent roughly 31% of the general fund and are a significant portion of the city’s retail transaction receipts.

- Paris Convention Center / MARC facility: Niebla described a multibuilding event center under construction at the fairgrounds—three buildings including a 140,000‑square‑foot event center and a 20,000‑square‑foot auditorium—saying staff recently saw steel going up on the site.

- Avialta soccer stadium: The city converted a baseball stadium to soccer at a reported cost of about $17,000,000 and is averaging about 4,500 attendees per game, Niebla said.

- Midtown Education Center (former Desert Christian High School): The city…