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Council central staff presents seven-year budget review showing $2.9 billion growth since 2019
Summary
Central staff presented a 2019'2026 seven-year budget review documenting roughly $2.9 billion (47%) citywide budget growth driven by new programs, the jump start payroll tax, personnel costs and voter-approved levies; the report includes a $211 million jump-start transfer to the general fund and a 1,241-FTE increase since 2019.
Council central staff presented a seven-year budget review on March 3 that tracks citywide budget changes from 2019 through the 2026 adopted budget and identifies the main drivers of growth.
"The city's budget has increased by $2.9 billion over the seven years, or 47%," Edin Sysic of Council Central Staff told the committee as he summarized charts and tables from the report. He said much of the numerical growth reflects a mix of new and expanded programs, voter-approved levy renewals and a large transfer from the jump-start (payroll expense) fund to support the general fund.
Key takeaways
Central staff highlighted three main drivers of growth: inflationary adjustments (personnel and internal service costs), new and expanded programs funded by new revenue sources (including the jump-start fund), and expanded services to serve a growing population (the report cites an increase from roughly 724,000 to 816,000 residents between 2019 and 2025).
The presentation noted a $211 million transfer from the jump-start fund to the general fund in 2026 and said the city's labor budget rose about 55%, adding 1,241 full-time equivalents since 2019. Central staff also supplied a table showing relative sizes of levies and the timing of renewals, and they said they will distribute the full report to councilmembers and staff.
Council response and context
Committee members thanked central staff and asked for clarifications about category definitions (for example, which departments appear under "administration"). Multiple members noted the budget's growth outpaced population increases and suggested further scrutiny of both revenues (including jump-start volatility) and spending priorities as part of budget reform.
What happens next
Central staff said the full reports will be distributed to council offices and noted the materials can inform upcoming budget deliberations. The committee asked staff to continue producing these annual reviews as a foundation for budget decision-making. No formal vote was taken during the briefing.
