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Oxnard council holds extended public hearing on FY 2026'27 budget; staff seeks direction on $12.7M fund balance and CIP priorities
Summary
At a marathon June 1 session, staff presented a structurally balanced FY 2026'27 proposed budget and asked council how to spend an anticipated $12.7 million one-time fund balance. Councilmembers debated allocating funds to capital projects (streets/alleys), recreation youth programs, police wellness services and other one-time requests; staff will return June 16 with a recommended package.
City staff presented the proposed FY 2026'27 budget and asked the Oxnard City Council for direction on how to use an anticipated $12.7 million of available one‑time general fund balance. Assistant City Manager Eric Siggard and Chief Financial Officer Javier Chago described the city as "structurally balanced" and highlighted proposed Measure O capital projects and a recommended 'weaning' schedule for Measure O-funded expenditures.
Staff presented a menu of supplemental requests (page 21 in the staff slide deck) including a $9.6 million CIP package (neighborhood street resurfacing, citywide alley reconstruction, arterial resurfacing), $110,000 to increase temporary recreation labor hours, $100,000 for summer jobs and youth development programs, $30,000 for cultural arts supports and $30,000 for code‑compliance overtime. Councilmembers discussed prioritization, operational tradeoffs, and whether the council should approve a budget by departmental appropriation (some members advocated for department‑level votes, others supported fund‑level approval with staff execution).
Council discussion touched on pacing capital projects: the prioritized CIP list exceeds the staff'identified funding in this package, so staff asked council to pick which projects to fund in the upcoming fiscal year. Public testimony on the budget item was closed with no speakers; council did not adopt the budget that night but directed staff to return with a clearer proposed appropriation when the council meets June 16.
What to watch: staff indicated they will likely include the top CIP priorities and several operational supplements for recreation and police wellness in the proposed budget on June 16. Council members asked for clearer presentation in the resolution that will be brought back (department‑level breakout and any reallocation language) so members can see whether they are voting a total by fund or an appropriation by department.
