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Yucaipa council reviews draft fiscal 2027 budget as staff warns fire-reserve shortfall
Summary
City staff presented a draft FY2027 that balances the general fund with interfund transfers while warning the fire/public-safety reserve could be depleted under current proposals; council asked staff for more department-level detail before adoption.
At a budget workshop, city staff presented the draft fiscal 2027 budget and said the general fund is being shown as balanced only because of planned transfers, including a new roughly $400,000 transfer from the gas-tax fund and a large transfer to the public-safety fund.
Dr. Moore, who led the presentation, framed the budget as the product of weeks of staff work and council direction and highlighted trade-offs staff made to meet council objectives. "A budget is a one-year planned execution of strategy based on the best information available at the time," Dr. Moore said during the slide review.
The presentation focused on the general fund and the public-safety fund. Staff noted that public safety now accounts for about 58% of net service-line cost in the draft and that the public-safety fund shows a budgetary deficit that relies on transfers and use of fund balance. "Based on the budgeted activity for fiscal 26 and fiscal 27 ... this fire fund balance potentially [could be] emptied out within fiscal 27," Dr. Moore said, cautioning that projections depend on whether planned capital purchases occur and on contract credits.
Staff listed enhancements excluded from the draft—such as a $1.25 million freeway corridor plan update and roughly $4.9 million of additional general-fund contribution to street repair—and those included, most notably several public-safety items: equipment and vehicle funding ($150,000 for paramedic gear; $200,000 for a used paramedic vehicle) and an approximately $1 million staffing allocation for the proposed paramedic squad, plus one additional deputy in the sheriff's contract.
Council members pressed staff for department-level breakdowns and clearer explanations of summary pages that show transfers. Staff said transfers appear on summary pages to reflect the movement of funds and that the detailed budget book removes duplications; staff also offered to return with the full department-level budget and further information for the council to consider before adoption.
The workshop closed with staff directed to prepare more detailed reports and to work with the council on priorities for public safety, roads and the draft budget timeline ahead of the formal adoption vote.
