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Pleasanton council delays budget engagement plan, asks staff to return with options
Summary
After hours of debate, the Pleasanton City Council voted 3-2 to table staff's proposed FY25-27 budget engagement plan and to require a "budget 101" workshop and revised options when the council reconvenes Jan. 9.
The Pleasanton City Council voted 3-2 on Dec. 17 to table a staff proposal for the city's two-year budget engagement plan and to direct staff to return Jan. 9 with alternative engagement options and an educational "budget 101" session for new council members.
Deputy City Manager Alexa Jeffress outlined staff's plan to address a multi-year structural shortfall, including an estimated $13 million annual general fund deficit and an estimated $900 million 10-year infrastructure gap. Staff proposed a public engagement campaign (pop-ups, town hall, an online statistically valid survey), a Budget Advisory Committee made up of citizen members, and a not-to-exceed $50,000 consultant contract to design engagement materials.
Council members split on the best route. Council member Nyberg argued a statistically valid survey and a Budget Advisory Committee would build public trust; council member Testa and others worried the proposed survey and pop-up outreach could repeat problems from the recent Measure PP outreach and preferred a more council-driven, educational approach. "We need to build faith and confidence in the forecast," Mayor Balch said, urging a council-level ad hoc process to vet assumptions before public outreach.
After multiple substitute motions and discussion, the council approved tabling the measure and asked staff to return with three staff options (the original staff recommendation, a council-directed ad hoc approach with town hall and workshops, or an in-depth full-council workshop series) and to present the updated financial forecast in February. The motion passed 3-2.
City Manager Jerry Bowden warned that compressing the schedule would reduce staff bandwidth for preparing the draft budget for June adoption, but council members said education of the council and public trust-building were priorities before deciding engagement specifics.
Next steps: staff will return Jan. 9 with revised engagement options and a workshop to brief the council on the forecast and budgeting assumptions; the Feb. forecast update will include audited results.
