Council approves bilingual stipend, fee schedule and multiple budgets; one abstention on sewer subsidy

Twentynine Palms City Council on June 10 approved a set of personnel, fee and budget measures, including a $20-per-month bilingual pay stipend, adoption of a revised master fee schedule and adoption of two-year general and special-funds budgets. A separate Project Phoenix sewer fund subsidy passed with one councilmember abstaining.

The actions taken affect employee pay, municipal fees and the city’s operating and capital spending plans for fiscal years 2025–26 and 2026–27. Council members voted unanimously on the bilingual stipend, the master fee schedule and the general and special funds budgets. The Project Phoenix sewer subsidy passed 4–0–1 with one abstention.

Council voted to increase bilingual pay for employees who meet the city’s proficiency criteria by $20 per month. Councilmember Ramirez made the motion; the roll call recorded Councilmember Scott, Councilmember Wright, Councilwoman Ramirez, Mayor Pro Tem Mintz and Mayor Bilderink collectively voting “Aye” on the motion to adopt the stipend increase.

Council also adopted an updated master fee schedule that adjusts a range of user charges and development-related fees by CPI and other indexes; the staff report cited a 2.5% CPI adjustment for most fees and a 2.78% change for certain development impact fees tied to construction cost indices. The council adopted the fee schedule by roll call vote.

The council approved the two-year general fund budget for FY 2025–26 and FY 2026–27 (resolution cited in the meeting transcript with inconsistent numbering; see provenance). The approved plan projects modest surpluses ($137,000 in year one, $4,000 in year two), continues contract costs for law enforcement as the single largest operating expense, and includes recommended transfers: $160,000 to the Capital Projects Fund and $25,000 set aside toward a future street sweeper acquisition (up to $120,000). The approved employee cost-of-living adjustment is 2.5%.

Separately, the council adopted the Special Revenue Funds budget and approved administrative transfers of $10,000 from the gas tax fund and $10,000 from the Measure I fund to the General Fund, plus a $26,000 transfer from the Successor Agency fund to the General Fund.

The Project Phoenix/Sewer Fund budget and related actions were approved with a separate motion to transfer $70,000 from the General Fund to the Sewer Fund to subsidize operating expenses for FY 2025–26. One councilmember abstained from that vote and was recorded as excused due to a personal conflict.

Votes at a glance

- Motion: Increase bilingual stipend by $20 per month for qualifying bilingual employees. Mover: Councilmember Ramirez. Vote: 5–0. Outcome: Approved. - Motion: Adopt Master Fee Schedule for FY 2025–26 (CPI and index adjustments; certain fees rounded for public convenience). Mover: (staff motion recorded). Vote: 5–0. Outcome: Approved. - Motion: Adopt General Fund budget for FY 2025–26 and FY 2026–27, COLA 2.5%, wage and classification schedule, and inner-fund transfers including $160,000 to Capital Projects and $25,000 toward street sweeper reserves. Mover: Councilmember (motion read by Mayor/Mayor Pro Tem). Vote: 5–0. Outcome: Approved. - Motion: Adopt Special Revenue Funds budget for FY 2025–26 and FY 2026–27 and approve admin transfers: $10,000 gas tax → General Fund; $10,000 Measure I → General Fund; $26,000 Successor Agency → General Fund. Mover: Councilmember (motion recorded). Vote: 5–0. Outcome: Approved. - Motion: Adopt Project Phoenix / Sewer Fund budget for FY 2025–26 and FY 2026–27 and approve inner-fund transfer $70,000 General Fund → Sewer Fund to subsidize operating expenses for FY 2025–26. Mover: Councilmember (motion recorded). Vote: 4–0–1 (one abstention). Outcome: Approved.

Why it matters: The decisions commit the city to specific staffing and service-cost choices (bilingual stipend, COLA), lock in revised user fees and set operating and capital spending priorities for the next two fiscal years, including net transfers to support capital projects and a downtown sewer/treatment project (Project Phoenix). The subsidized sewer operations and growing law-enforcement contract costs were identified in staff presentations as areas requiring continued monitoring.

What happens next: Staff will implement the pay adjustment and fee schedule changes and proceed with the budgeted transfers and projects. Council discussed revisiting allocations for community event grants and other line items during forthcoming budget and strategic-planning meetings.