San Juan commissioners table first reading of budget amendment after debate over pay increase

The City of San Juan opened a public hearing and reviewed a first-reading ordinance to amend the FY2025–26 budget before tabling the measure for further work.

Finance Director Maria Beltran presented the amendment, saying it would provide additional appropriations to the general, solid waste, stormwater and utility funds and that the increases would be funded from fund balance and retained earnings. Staff provided a department-level breakdown and attachments explaining the requested changes and noted cost pressures the amendment is intended to address.

A commissioner pressed staff on why the earlier workshop discussion — which the commissioner recalled had included a 3% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for employees — was reflected in the packet as a 2% increase. The commissioner said employees deserve a raise but argued that the additional 1% should not be funded from general-fund reserves without cuts elsewhere and without a clear plan to balance future budgets. Maria Beltran said that previous direction and balancing constraints led to the 2% figure and that the numbers in the packet reflected those budget-balancing decisions.

After the exchange, the commission voted to table the ordinance’s first reading and asked staff to bring the item back at a future meeting with additional analysis. The motion to table was made, seconded and carried by voice vote; no roll-call tally was read into the record.

The tabling means the amendment will not advance at this meeting; the commission instructed staff to return with revised materials and further options for how to fund any additional personnel costs or to identify offsets in the budget.