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Antioch council trims FY 2026–27 budget, shifts Homekey acquisition funds to housing successor account
Summary
Acting city manager and finance staff outlined more than $10 million in reductions to the FY 2026–27 draft budget and recommended reducing the Homekey annual commitment from $1.2 million to $400,000, moving acquisition support toward housing successor funding pending developer negotiations.
Acting City Manager Anna Cortez and Finance Director Merchant presented an updated draft of Antioch’s FY 2026–27 budget at a May 26 study session, reporting roughly $10.5 million in staffing and program reductions since the May meeting and a remaining projected deficit of about $1.64 million after the latest changes.
The presentation said departments identified savings and staff will continue meeting this week to reach a final draft for presentation on June 9 and adoption on June 23. Cortez said staff plans to return with more department‑level detail and that some items now shown in the draft will be reallocated to grant or successor funds where appropriate.
Why it matters: the draft preserves key public safety spending while trimming proposed new police trainee hires because the department lacks academy capacity. Finance staff removed a $631,464 line that had funded 12 police trainees after the police chief explained Antioch’s recruitment pipeline: lengthy background checks, six‑month academies and extended field training mean new hires would not be counted as sworn officers for many months.
On homelessness spending, staff recommended reducing the Homekey program commitment for FY27. Cortez said the $1.2 million annual operational figure would be reduced to $400,000 for next year to create a cushion while acquisition funding is finalized. Council members and staff discussed whether federal CDBG or local housing successor funds could cover acquisition costs; staff said housing successor dollars are the faster path because CEQA/NEPA and project viability rules make CDBG more constrained.
Public comment and council follow‑up focused on transparency. Merchant agreed to separate APOC training from the city manager’s business expense line and to return June 9 with a detailed breakdown of the $25,361 year‑to‑date training expenditures and conference/dues spending. Cortez said staff will continue departmental meetings this week to pursue additional reductions and bring a revised draft on June 9.
The next step: staff will return with the revised draft budget (June 9), further department‑level detail on frozen positions and a prioritized list of deferred maintenance and unfunded CIP items for council consideration.
"We have made substantial reductions and continue to look for additional savings," Cortez said during the presentation. "Our goal is to present a balanced, sustainable budget while protecting core services."
