Carson adopts $154 million spending plan for fiscal year 2025–26 with $474,000 projected surplus

The Carson City Council unanimously adopted the city's fiscal year 2025—'26 budget after a public hearing and staff presentation, approving about $154 million in spending against roughly $155 million in proposed revenues and a projected surplus of $474,000.

Will Jefferson, the city's director of finance, told the council that "the revenues did not change, which, we are proposing revenues of a 155,000,000, expenditures of a 154,000,000," and reviewed reallocations and program changes that produced the current surplus.

The approved budget keeps total revenue assumptions unchanged and reflects $128,000 in net expenditure reductions since the last workshop, producing the $474,000 surplus. Key adjustments approved by council include reclassifying roughly $317,000 in council staffing costs to the city manager's office (a net $236,000 increase to that office after offsets), an ISPM (information services/project management) reclassification of about $31,500, and a finalized sheriff contract increase that came in at 4.37 percent (lower than a previously conservatively estimated 5 percent), which yielded about $236,000 in savings relative to the earlier estimate.

Council members asked for and received detail on staffing and training levels. The adopted budget proposes 392 full-time equivalent positions, of which 344 are filled and 48 are vacant; staff described a projected 12 percent vacancy rate beginning in July because of new positions and a retirement incentive program, while noting the current vacancy rate was about 8 percent. Salaries and benefits in the proposed budget total about $63 million. The council also approved funding for new positions the budget establishes: a multimedia manager and analyst under ISPM, an information security/data officer role, a public safety specialist, and a senior human resources analyst.

Special events funding was reduced from last year's approximately $697,000 to $550,000 in the plan presented to council. City staff also said the budget contains items linked to the city's capital improvement program, including median and streetscape projects that staff said will be brought forward for design and approval beginning July 1.

Councilmembers stressed public-works hiring and training as priorities ahead of the LA28-related events and the city's role as a venue city. Staff said recruitment for line positions in public works is underway and that several interviews are in progress with expectations that multiple vacancies will be filled in coming weeks. Councilmembers and staff agreed to return with details on the budgeted training allocation; staff later confirmed a 30 percent increase in the training line, equal to $30,000 added for staff training.

Votes at a glance: The council voted unanimously to adopt the fiscal year 2025—'26 budgets for the general fund and special revenue funds; to adopt related successor agency and housing authority budgets; to set the fiscal-year appropriation limit; to approve the special-events budget for FY25—'26; and to approve the city's five-year capital improvement program as presented. Several consent calendar items (items 9—'28) and two ordinances on second reading (items 33 and 34) were approved on unanimous votes with little or no discussion.

What the council decided and why it matters: The budget preserves existing revenue assumptions while prioritizing public safety contract costs, staffing changes meant to centralize certain administrative functions, continued investment in infrastructure and event planning, and modest reductions to the special-events line. The budget also creates and funds new administrative and public-safety positions and continues CIP planning for medians and other streetscape work that staff said will be important as Carson prepares to host events related to LA28.

Implementation and next steps: Staff will post the adopted budget documents and supporting schedules to the city's website. Departments will proceed with recruitment for approved positions, and the city manager's office will bring forward specific median design recommendations in July.

The council cast a recorded unanimous vote to approve the budget; the motion carried.