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Ojai council adopts midyear budget amendments but defers $710,000 legal increase for review
Summary
Council approved midyear budget amendments that include conservative TOT growth and multiple departmental adjustments, but declined to add a proposed $710,000 increase for legal services and directed the city attorney to return in March with recommended legal spending for the fiscal year.
The Ojai City Council accepted most midyear budget adjustments presented by finance staff but set aside a requested $710,000 increase to the city attorney budget for further review.
Finance staff presented FY24‑25 unaudited results showing general fund revenues of about $17.4 million, a roughly $1.1 million positive variance from budget, producing an unaudited ending fund balance in the $22–23 million range and an unallocated general fund balance of approximately $9.8 million after applying the city’s 100% reserve methodology. Staff also presented midyear amendment requests totaling a net general fund impact of roughly $616,000, driven by a proposed conservative $500,000 increase to transient occupancy tax (split to general fund and Measure C), recruitment costs, IT and cybersecurity needs, additional recreation program appropriations and a $35,000 equipment fund request to migrate records software.
The largest contested item was a $710,000 request for the city attorney department. Public commenters and several council members urged deeper review of historic legal spending and asked for policy guardrails. Clay Creasy said the city needs “serious budget control” and urged a forensic look at legal and procurement practices; others urged a reserve‑policy review to ensure resilience against tourism downturns.
Mayor Gilman moved to adopt the midyear amendments while excluding the requested legal‑department increase and to direct the city attorney’s office to return at a regular March meeting with a reasonable proposal and recommended controls for legal spending for the remainder of the fiscal year. The motion passed on roll call with one abstention. Council asked the Finance & Budget Committee to vet reserve and Measure C policy questions and to return recommendations.
Provenance: midyear presentation (SEG 1919–2092), amendment list and discussion (SEG 2600–2676), public comment and debate (SEG 2680–3330), motion and vote adopting amendments except legal (SEG 3396–3745).
