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West Sacramento council adopts FY 2026'27 budget, using one-time funds to bridge shortfall
Summary
The City Council adopted a $90.5 million general fund revenue budget and a $92.5 million ongoing expense plan for FY 2026'27, approving supplemental requests while using one-time resources and pausing some contributions to preserve services without layoffs.
The West Sacramento City Council on June 17 approved the city's fiscal year 2026'27 operations and capital budget, adopting Resolution 26-66 after extended discussion on revenue pressures, staffing and major projects.
Finance staff presented a cautious budget shaped by slowing sales and property tax growth. "Sales tax revenues have declined for two consecutive years," Finance Manager Becky Robertson told the council, and staff projected general fund revenues of about $90.5 million against $92.5 million in ongoing expenditures, producing an ongoing shortfall of roughly $1.9 million before supplemental requests and about $2.6 million after limited supplemental items.
The council and staff said the city will bridge the gap through a combination of one-time resources, targeted suspensions and careful prioritization. The package includes suspending the usual $1 million annual contribution to the general facilities fund, pausing a planned PERS supplemental trust contribution, and using available one-time fund balance; staff said reserves will remain within policy levels.
Why it matters: City officials framed the budget as a transition from expansion to sustainability. Staff emphasized that, despite revenue headwinds, the city is not proposing layoffs or service reductions this year because of Measure O revenues and reserve strategy. Robertson said the proposed 1-time expenditures and CIP commitments will still leave the city with an available one-time balance going into the next year.
Key details and trade-offs: The staff-submitted decision packages requested $29.5 million across the city, including $17.4 million in CIP, $7.9 million in one-time operations and $4.1 million in ongoing O&M. Personnel changes in the proposal would add 10 full-time equivalent positions citywide; staff said seven of those positions are water and sewer staff funded by utility rates, not the general fund. "The bulk of the positions being requested are water and sewer positions," Robertson said, noting those costs are funded from service revenues tied to rate changes.
The budget also includes previously committed obligations. Council members pressed staff for transparency on large projects such as the light rail extension design, asking about the timing and whether additional funds might be needed; staff said the item to review new cost pressures will return to council in the coming months and that the appropriation adopted tonight largely makes good on previously approved cooperative-agreement commitments.
Council action and next steps: Councilmember Early moved to approve Resolution 26-66 with the discussed amendments; the motion passed by roll call with the members present voting aye. Staff said the city will publish a new interactive digital budget book by July 1 and return later in the year with a comprehensive financial update and possible reconsideration of deferred items.
What remains uncertain: Several council members asked for follow-up figures, including the portion of recent rate increases that fund the new water and sewer positions and more digestible public-facing maps showing where road and CIP investments will land. Staff committed to providing more detail and better public-facing tools.
