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Antioch council studies budget options as staff weigh adding 12 police trainees and funding OPEB
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Summary
At a March 24 study session the Antioch City Council reviewed the draft FY2026–27 budget framework, discussed paying the full actuarially determined OPEB contribution, and considered adding 12 police trainees (six‑month academy cost about $559,000; annualized cost for 12 officers about $2.42M). Council asked staff for more detail on vacancy savings, consultant contracts and options to limit general‑fund exposure.
The Antioch City Council on March 24 heard a staff presentation on the fiscal year 2026–27 budget and directed the city manager and finance director to return with more detailed options and analyses.
Finance Director and acting city manager Dawn Merchant told the council the proposed budget follows the model adopted for FY 25–26 and includes attachment D proposed adjustments. She presented an inventory of active competitive grants (about $38.8 million applied for), and explained that American Rescue Plan funds remaining must be contracted by Dec. 31, 2024, and spent by Dec. 31, 2026. On the city’s OPEB (other post‑employment benefits) Section 115 trust, she said the city established the trust in 2008, has contributed roughly $15.8 million since then and the trust balance was $30,409,792 as of Dec. 31, 2025. Using the actuarial figures presented, Merchant said the city’s total OPEB liability was $41,970,640 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, producing a net OPEB liability around $17,874,006.
Merchant and councilmembers debated whether to accelerate funding of the actuarially determined contribution (ADC) for OPEB, which staff estimated would cost roughly $1.2–$1.3 million annually if fully funded. Merchant noted pension obligation bonds and similar approaches have risks and that the council previously chose systematic contributions rather than a bond approach.
Police staffing formed a large portion of the discussion. Merchant reported the estimated cost to hire and train one new officer (academy, equipment, background, medical) is about $61,904; adding 12 trainees would cost roughly $559,464 for six months of academy pay and related costs and raise the FY27 expenditures modestly in the near term, while the full‑year cost when those officers are on duty would be approximately $2.42 million. Council members and the human resources director described recruitment as a moving target: the police chief expects some academy graduations in late 2026 and additional positions might not be fully staffed until fiscal year 2028. Council members emphasized the need to model scenarios with laterals, attrition, vehicle availability and dispatch vacancies (staff reported 13 authorized dispatchers with about four vacancies).
Several councilmembers asked staff to return with a clearer list of all general‑fund vacancies, the hiring pipeline for positions already advertised, and the fully loaded dollar amounts for each vacancy. They also pressed staff for an accounting of consultant contracts and their expiration dates to identify potential short‑term savings. Merchant said staff will prepare follow‑up materials and that council will consider whether to include the $559,000 trainee funding in the FY27 budget or defer to midyear.
The council did not adopt budget changes at the session; members instead requested a set of recommended expenditure reductions, a breakdown of programs funded by the general fund, and a quarterly reporting cadence for vacancy and hiring status.
