Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lancaster staff outline $357 million budget plan with large investments in roads and public safety
Summary
City staff presented a balanced $357 million budget proposal with a $147 million general fund, a 40% reserve target, expanded pavement work and police staffing funded in part by local measures LC and YM; public comment and final adoption were set for June 23.
Lancaster officials on Tuesday presented a proposed $357 million city budget that prioritizes pavement repairs, public-safety staffing and community programs while preserving a large general-fund reserve.
The proposed plan, presented during a joint public hearing by City Manager Trisse MBA, Assistant City Manager Lissa de la Cruz and Chief Financial Officer George Harris, would allocate $147 million to the general fund and keep a general-fund reserve near 40 percent of policy. "Overall, the budget is a $357 million budget," the city manager said during the presentation.
The administration said the proposal responds to community input collected at a May 11 budget workshop and a resident survey. Top priorities cited by residents — roads and infrastructure, public safety, homelessness and economic development — drove staff recommendations. The public-works portion of the plan includes about $1.78 million in new funding to hire four asphalt maintenance workers and buy a pothole truck and pavement attachment, and additional paving projects will be advanced through upcoming agendas, the assistant city manager said.
Public-safety investments reflected local ballot measures passed in recent years. The staff presentation showed the city’s total public-safety budget at roughly $60 million across Lancaster Police, LA County Sheriff contract elements and animal control, with Lancaster Police Department operating on a $24.7 million share. Lissa de la Cruz told the council the city will transition traffic enforcement from the county to the Lancaster Police Department on Aug. 1, adding motor officers, sergeants and dispatchers to increase street visibility and traffic safety.
City finance staff said the budget relies on modest revenue growth — about 2.7 percent — and significant one-time spending decisions in recent years that preserved capacity for long-term operational obligations such as labor contracts and the classification-and-compensation study. "We have a 40% general fund reserve," CFO George Harris said, calling the reserves a credit to the city’s financial management.
Council members asked for more detail on maintenance costs for new parks and for clearer public communications about district fees and ballot items. No vote was required at Tuesday’s hearing; staff said the budget will return for formal adoption at the June 23 meeting, when related salary schedules and final union contract items are scheduled for council consideration.
What’s next: The council will hold a final budget adoption vote on June 23. Staff also plans follow-up materials describing maintenance obligations for new park projects and the schedule for pavement work next fiscal year.
