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Salinas previews $193M biennial budget; staff seeks committee input on $3.4M reallocation for streets and traffic calming
Summary
Finance Director Serena Andrews presented a preliminary biennial budget that shows roughly $193 million in total resources and a $14 million variance; staff identified $3.4 million in carryover that could be reallocated to pavement maintenance, Abbott Street or traffic calming (estimated at $2 million to address backlog). Committee asked for clearer prioritization and more detailed cost lists before recommending allocations.
Salinas staff presented the city’s preliminary biennial general fund and capital budget to the Finance Committee on May 12, highlighting revenue and expenditure estimates, carryover balances and a staff recommendation that the committee provide input on how to allocate roughly $3.4 million identified in a recent review of carryover funds.
Finance Director Serena Andrews told the committee total resources across the proposed biennial budget are about $193 million, with a $14 million variance staff recommended addressing through reallocation of fund balance, adjustments to capital projects and use of restricted reserves.
"You see the resources here, total a 193,000,000," Andrews said, summarizing the preliminary funding picture and the calendar for public review and final adoption.
Adriana Robles reviewed the capital improvement program and said the city had approximately $66 million in carryover as of April 1, 2026, drawn from a mix of general fund, Measure E and G, development impact fees and grant sources. Robles said staff found about $3.4 million that could be reallocated and recommended committee discussion on whether to apply it to street preventative maintenance, the Abbott Street project or traffic calming.
"As of April 1, we have approximately $66,000,000 in carryover," Robles said, and staff recommended using $3.4 million newly identified in the review for pavement maintenance or to clear a quantified traffic calming backlog.
Staff described traffic calming as one option that is relatively straightforward to quantify because the city maintains a ranked project list; staff estimated roughly $2 million would address the most immediate traffic calming needs on that list. Committee members cautioned that the city’s pavement backlog and sidewalk needs are large and asked for clearer project lists, cost estimates and prioritization metrics before endorsing allocations.
Public commenters urged prioritizing infrastructure in East Salinas and emphasized crosswalk safety and visible pavement improvements in underserved neighborhoods.
Committee members and staff agreed to reformat the options and return with clearer buckets and schedules so council and the public can weigh tradeoffs during the budget adoption schedule later this spring and summer.
