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Ridgecrest staff present balanced $21 million FY2026–27 budget, police consumes largest share
Summary
City staff presented a proposed FY2026–27 balanced budget with $21 million in general fund revenues and expenditures, highlighted Measure V and Measure P allocations and staffing changes, and told council the proposal returns for a final vote June 17.
City staff presented the proposed FY2026–27 budget at a June 10 workshop, describing a $21 million general fund that staff said is balanced and based on conservative revenue forecasts for sales and property taxes. The presentation said police services would account for roughly 46% of general‑fund spending.
Finance staff told the council Measure V is forecast at $5.5 million with planned uses including $3.8 million for police, $2.0 million for streets and $850,000 for capital projects; Measure P shows $5.5 million in revenue but an apparent FY26 carryover of negative $12.5 million on the worksheet, which staff explained is the result of $19.3 million encumbered on purchase orders for progress payments on the Penny Memorial Pool and therefore not available for other uses.
Staff outlined the budget’s revenue mix: Measure V at 27% of general‑fund receipts, sales tax 20%, property tax 16% and transient occupancy tax 9%, and the use‑by‑type breakdown with personnel accounting for the largest share of spending. The proposed budget lists a total of 155 budgeted positions (143.59 full‑time equivalent), with personnel and benefits roughly $17.1 million in total.
Community development and planning staff described several operational changes and accomplishments that support the budget, including launching an online GIS zoning map and implementing digital plan submittals to shorten permit processing times. Staff also proposed a new vacant‑property monitoring and management fee of $75 per quarter for persistently vacant properties to offset monitoring and nuisance‑abatement costs.
Staff said the budget is being presented for council comment at the workshop and will return to the June 17 agenda for the council’s final approval. No formal budget votes were taken at the workshop.
