Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget And Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Westminster adopts $164.8M budget for 2026–27; council adds park ranger and authorizes staffing changes
Summary
The council adopted the FY 2026–27 budget, approving a $96.7M general fund within a $164.8M citywide budget, several supplemental positions and adding a third park ranger (partly ARPA-funded through December). Officials said reserves will grow to ~$55.6M and capital projects total roughly $16.9M.
The Westminster City Council adopted the fiscal-year 2026–27 budget on June 24, approving a citywide spending plan of approximately $164.8 million and a $96.7 million general fund. City finance staff described revenue and expense projections, capital requests and reserve targets before the council’s unanimous vote.
Finance staff said the proposed budget increases projected revenue by about $7 million from the prior year, and—after negotiated labor agreements—projects adding about $1.5 million to reserves in 2026–27, for a projected reserve balance of $55.6 million. Capital requests total roughly $16.9 million and include street improvements, water system projects, building and vehicle upgrades and a new $250,000 civic-center master-plan project.
Council discussed multiple supplemental staffing requests across departments. Highlights adopted in the package: replacement and reclassifications in community development (plan checker and permit technician), public-works and code-enforcement positions, and police department adjustments including two police captains replacing a deputy chief. Councilmember Monzo moved to add a third park ranger after staff noted the program’s positive first-year results; the council authorized the additional ranger and staff indicated half of that first year’s cost could be funded from remaining ARPA allocations through December 2026. The budget resolutions, salary-schedule amendments and related housing authority appropriations were approved by roll call (motion carried 5–0).
Councilmembers stressed balancing service-level needs with long-term fiscal stability. Finance staff said the city has strengthened reserves in recent years (citing sales-tax measures and vacant-position savings), and maintained trust accounts to pay future pension and retiree medical liabilities; the total outstanding pension liability was cited at approximately $145.4 million as of June 30, 2025, with an annual pension payment projected at $15.5 million for 2026–27.
What’s next: staff will implement approved supplemental positions and capital projects and return with future-year projections; the third park ranger will be onboarded and partially charged to ARPA in FY 2026–27.
