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Council adopts Venice strategic plan for fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2026, 4'2
Summary
After debate over wording about reserve funds, the City Council voted 4'2 to adopt the Venice strategic plan for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2026. The measure passed after an initial amendment failed earlier in the meeting.
The Venice City Council adopted a multi-year strategic plan covering initiatives through the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30, 2026, approving the final motion by a 4'2 vote.
Council discussion before the final vote focused on a single finance-policy sentence in Goal 3 that reads, "Maintain a balanced budget without the use of reserve funds." Councilmember Smith asked that the language explicitly add "for recurring expenses" to reflect the city's existing financial rule against funding ongoing costs from one-time reserves. The council considered a motion to adopt the plan with that specific wording change but the motion initially failed 2'4.
Mayor Nick Pechota then moved to adopt the plan as presented; Vice Mayor Jim Boldt seconded, and the adopted motion passed 4'2. City staff told council that the municipality's internal financial policy already prohibits using nonrecurring revenue for recurring operating expenses.
Councilmember Smith also asked staff to continue exploring whether public-notification practices for zoning and land-use matters should mirror changes the county is discussing, including expanding the notification radius for zoning changes and reconsidering initial online-only public input formats.
The strategic plan adopted by council sets priorities across finance, infrastructure, public safety and community engagement and will be used to guide budgets and departmental work plans through the coming fiscal year.
