Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Ojai Council reviews FY 2026–27 budget as members debate roads, fire mitigation and Measure C priorities
Summary
Councilors heard a detailed presentation of the proposed FY 2026–27 budget on June 9, 2026, and debated whether to protect road paving allocations, set aside funds for fire mitigation and change Measure C spending priorities. Staff said recurring revenues project a structurally balanced general fund with $21.6 million projected ending balance and $4.3 million unallocated.
The Ojai City Council on June 9 received a presentation of the proposed fiscal year 2026–27 budget and spent more than an hour questioning staff about reserve policy, road funding and one‑time grant matches.
Finance staff told the council that recurring revenues slightly exceed recurring expenditures, producing a modest structural surplus; the presentation noted projected sales tax of about $2.5 million and a property tax projection of $2.6 million. The budget document shows an estimated general fund ending balance of roughly $21.6 million, with about $4.3 million unallocated beyond a 100% reserve policy.
Council members and members of the public raised concerns about a proposed reduction in the roads program — from about $4.5 million in prior plans to $2.5 million in the proposal — and asked whether delaying paving projects would increase long‑term costs. "The more we delay, especially our worst streets, the more expensive repairs will be later," one councilor said.
Several councilors urged earmarking money for fire mitigation and fuel‑reduction work. One proposal discussed during the meeting would put a $1 million placeholder into the budget for fuel reduction and fire resiliency work and direct the finance and budget committee to identify grant‑matching strategies.
Public commenters pressed the council to restore road funding and asked that the council consider recurring, modest support for the Ojai Mandala public art project; the artist, River Sovio, asked the council to include $7,000 in the city’s annual budget as a stable line item to support materials and training for the event that draws hundreds of participants.
Staff also briefed the council on recruitment and staffing items embedded in the budget, including a recommended 3.5% cost‑of‑living adjustment for most employees (projected personnel impact ~ $172,000) and several positions moving from part‑time to full‑time. Council asked staff to return with a clear plan on how Measure C allocations will be prioritized and a reserve‑policy review so the council can decide whether to reallocate unspent funds or hold them for future contingencies.
City staff said some one‑time items — including an OSD grant match and a historic inventory survey — would reduce the one‑time portion of the surplus by roughly $94,000 in the scenario discussed. Staff also noted that the city is tracking a number of reimburseable and grant‑dependent programs (for example, operating costs tied to a permanent supportive housing project are expected to be supported with $500,000 per year from a grant for the project’s first four years).
Next steps: staff will return with more detail on the reserve policy, the Measure C allocation plan and follow‑up cost estimates for specific items such as a construction manager for the housing project and a possible program to waive or subsidize fire‑hardening permit fees. Council members directed the finance and budget committee to review these items and bring recommendations back to the full council.
