Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Vacaville city manager outlines $9M structural deficit and previews possible November 2026 sales‑tax measure
Summary
Vacaville City Manager Savita Chaudhry told the Travis Unified board the city faces a structural general‑fund deficit of roughly $9 million and is considering a local sales‑tax ballot measure for November 2026 as one option to close the gap.
Savita Chaudhry, city manager for Vacaville, briefed the Travis Unified board on the city's fiscal position and a potential local revenue measure.
Chaudhry told the board Vacaville is facing a structural general‑fund deficit of about $9 million and has relied on one‑time receipts in recent years, including a roughly $7 million sales‑tax windfall from a local Genentech sale. She said the city has enacted a 2.5% across‑the‑board expenditure reduction and is exploring options to increase recurring revenue, among them a November 2026 local sales‑tax measure that would remain under local control if approved.
"We are facing a structural deficit of about $9,000,000," Chaudhry said, describing steps the city has taken — hiring freezes, deferred maintenance and pursuit of grants — and warning that without action reserves would fall from roughly $41 million to $29 million next year under current projections. She said unfunded liabilities across capital needs amount to about $736 million in current dollars and noted that rising costs (for police vehicles and asphalt, for example) have increased pressure on the budget.
Chaudhry described outreach plans if the council decides to pursue a ballot measure: community education sessions, focus groups already completed, and the creation of an independent citizens oversight committee should voters approve a measure. She said the city is not yet in a campaign phase and will return for further conversations if council approval to place a measure is received in May.
Why it matters: A city‑level tax measure could affect district residents and the local economic environment; Vacaville officials offered to partner with school and community groups for outreach and information sessions.
What’s next: Chaudhry said the council will decide in May whether to place a measure on the November 2026 ballot; if so, the city will step up community education and may ask for local support.
