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Salinas adopts $285M budget for FY25–26 with higher CIP spending and reserves; council flags public-safety staffing and reporting needs
Summary
The council unanimously adopted the FY2025–26 operating and capital budgets and appropriation limits on June 17. The approved plan keeps departments largely level-funded while increasing capital investment — notably streets and sidewalks — and sets reserves at about 20.7% of the general-fund operating budget.
The Salinas City Council voted unanimously June 17 to adopt the fiscal-year 2025–26 operating and capital budgets and the city’s appropriation limits. Finance staff described the proposal as largely status quo on operations while significantly increasing the capital-improvement program (CIP) investment.
Celine Andrews, finance director, summarized the proposed citywide budget totaling about $285 million. The package includes a general-fund operating budget of approximately $184.5 million, enterprise and other funds, and a proposed CIP of roughly $29.4 million in new-year allocations plus significant carryover from prior years. Andrews and Assistant Finance Director Abe Pedrosa highlighted that salaries and benefits represent about 67% of the general fund and that a six-year forecast (to 2031) shows possible structural deficits if certain revenues — including Measure G — are not maintained or renewed.
Key budget actions noted by staff: - Additions: police non-sworn positions for personnel and community outreach, fire deputy marshal position (funded by hazmat reimbursements), and four community-development positions (associate planner, permit clerk, permit technician, plan checker). - CIP increases: more funding for streets and sidewalks (sidewalks increased to $11.3M; Buranda Road and Abbott Street projects funded), $300,000 additional for traffic calming, $4M added toward Abbott Street project, and other transportation and storm projects. - Reserves: the city would maintain general-fund reserves of approximately $38.2 million (about 20.7% of the operating budget) after the FY25–26 allocations; staff recommended a $1.4M current-year contribution to maintain a 12% economic contingency threshold.
Council discussion was extensive. Members and the public repeatedly pressed for clearer, publicly accessible performance reporting and dashboards that track CIP delivery, contract status and neighborhood-level outcomes. Several council members also asked staff to return with midyear options to address public-safety staffing shortfalls; police and fire chiefs and staff told council they are actively recruiting and that the city needs more sworn personnel to meet national and regional response standards.
Celine Andrews and Abe Pedrosa said the budget included $500,000 set aside as seed money for a rate/tenant-assistance program and that staff would bring program design options forward. Staff also noted that the six-year forecast assumed conservative revenues for a planned Amazon facility and that failure to renew local sales taxes could materially worsen the forecast.
Roll-call vote: Barajas — yes; Barrera — yes; Dirigo — yes; De La Rosa — yes; Salazar — yes; Sandoval — yes; Mayor Dennis Donahue — yes. The council adopted the budget and appropriation limits and asked staff to prepare additional public-facing reporting and to return sooner than midyear with options on public-safety staffing and program details for tenant assistance.
