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Residents urge city not to defund approved NCIP neighborhood projects to plug budget gap
Summary
The NCIP committee recommended using next year’s TOT allocation rather than cutting already‑approved neighborhood projects. Council received the presentation and extensive public comment urging preservation of NCIP approvals and warning that rescinding projects will erode trust.
Council received a report from public‑works staff and the Neighborhood & Community Improvement Program (NCIP) committee on Feb. 17 seeking $3–4 million in low‑priority projects that could be deferred to help close a projected city budget deficit.
Reggie (public works staff) described the committee’s multi‑meeting ranking process for about 40 candidate projects, which used a 1–10 scoring card and a complexity classification (low/medium/high). The NCIP committee recommended that, if funds are needed to cover the city’s structural shortfall, the council consider taking money from next year’s NCIP allocation rather than defunding projects already approved by neighborhoods.
Public commenters — including NCIP chairs and dozens of neighborhood submitters — urged council to preserve projects that had been approved after community review and to avoid resurrecting the painful post‑COVID defunding episode. The Monterey Undergrounding group warned that one prioritized undergrounding project depends on a limited PG&E credit that will not be available if the city strips local matching funds. NCIP chair Janeer Bona told council members the committee voted unanimously to suggest the funding be taken from the 2026–27 allocation and argued defunding approved projects would damage community trust.
Council members and staff acknowledged the competing demands: staff said projected deficits require difficult choices and that next steps would include a broader budget process and position control review. The NCIP committee’s recommendation to use the next fiscal year’s TOT allocation was entered into the record for council consideration.
What happens next: Staff will incorporate NCIP committee recommendations into the multi‑week budget process and return to council with options for how to realize needed savings while minimizing harm to neighborhood projects.
