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Escanido council reviews Measure I spending, recommends targeted fee adjustments for swim lessons and senior programs
Summary
Council reviewed the FY27 preliminary operating budget and five-year CIP that prioritize traffic safety, wildfire mitigation and public-safety staffing funded in part by Measure I. Staff recommended mid-market pricing for life‑safety 'learn to swim' classes and targeted senior discounts after participation fell sharply following 2024 fee changes.
The Escanido City Council received a detailed briefing on the fiscal year 2027 preliminary operating budget and the proposed five‑year capital improvement plan, with staff outlining Measure I priorities for public safety, traffic safety and parks and recommending near‑term changes to fee policy to protect participation in life‑safety programs.
Finance Director Christina Holmes summarized the city’s budget outlook and the role of Measure I, the 1% general sales tax approved by voters in November 2024. Staff proposed using the Section 115 pension trust to smooth an expected PERS payment increase and reallocated several operating costs to Measure I to preserve core services. Holmes said staff expect the first full fiscal year of Measure I receipts to generate material funding for one‑time and recurring priorities.
The proposed Measure I investments include early funding for a wildfire mitigation plan and software (Acting Fire Chief Tyler Batson), additional traffic‑safety positions and technology for the police department (Police Chief Ken Plunkett), upgrades to traffic‑signal communications and a multi‑year program to sync corridors citywide, and continued capital work on parks and libraries. Chief Batson described year one wildfire work focused on a data and modeling tool to prioritize fuel mitigation and enforcement; Chief Plunkett previewed a police-safety technology package that includes body-camera updates and a drone-first-responder capability.
Staff also presented a user‑fee update (Robert Rhodess) showing that a move toward top‑of‑market fees in 2024 increased revenue overall but coincided with program declines in price‑sensitive services. Enrollment in the learn‑to‑swim program fell by nearly 1,000 participants after the pricing change. Rhodess and council members argued the program is a life‑safety priority and recommended shifting to a mid‑market pricing approach for swim lessons and offering discounted rates to seniors and other price‑sensitive users, with CPI adjustments used as a baseline in future years.
Council feedback was broadly supportive of the recommended differentiated pricing approach for life‑safety swim instruction and senior center rentals. Council members asked staff to return with more granular analysis and to monitor participation trends over the next year.
What happens next: staff will use council feedback to refine fee adjustments and will return with a final operating and capital budget for adoption on June 17; Measure I spending and CIP items will be further prioritized and finalized as part of that adoption process.
