Selma City Council adopts 2026-27 budget, keeps reserves and trims small line items

The Selma City Council voted unanimously on June 16 to adopt the city's fiscal year 2026-27 budget and the city's annual appropriations limit after a public hearing and a staff presentation. The council approved a modest amendment moving $1,000 to the Selma Life events line, bringing that program's allocation to $5,000.

Finance staff presented the final budget document and a slide deck summarizing the plan. The presentation listed a total all-funds budget of $65.6 million and noted that the general fund represents roughly a third of those expenditures. The director said personnel costs total about $14.1 million and highlighted revenue drivers such as sales tax (about 41% of general revenue) and vehicle license fee and property-tax components.

The budget discussion touched on the city's use of one-time funds to balance the coming year while planning for future uncertainties including the loss of Measure C (estimated at $1.4 million) and rising pension and health costs. The finance director said the proposed document shows an estimated ending fund balance of $94.9 million and, as presented, a proposed surplus of $346 as reported in the slide materials.

Council members praised staff for months of work on the budget and asked clarifying questions about specific items, including election-related professional-services funding. The council directed staff to shift $1,000 from a city-clerk professional-services line to make the Selma Life events allocation $5,000 in total and then approved the budget by roll call.

The council's adoption completes a multimonth budget process; staff said capital projects and grant work will continue as planned and that any needed amendments can be brought back to the council. The budget will take effect July 1, 2026.