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Citizens Budget Advisory Council urges targeted investments in policing, housing and transit
Summary
Tony Piacenza, chair of the Citizens Budget Advisory Council, presented recommendations to the Finance Committee urging targeted police presence, youth programming, expanded affordable-housing programs, follow-up business surveys and evaluation of new transit/parking programs.
Tony Piacenza, chair of the Citizens Budget Advisory Council, told the Finance Committee the council reviewed the city’s resident survey and the manager’s proposed budget and developed recommendations to align spending with residents’ priorities.
The CBAC recommended a business follow-up survey to complement the 2025 resident survey and help the city better understand local business needs, employment impacts and tax sensitivities, Piacenza said. The council also urged the city to prioritize efforts that respond to residents’ concerns about public safety, including increasing police presence where needed, funding youth programming and improving police–community relationships.
"We recommend the budget incorporate and prioritize opportunities to increase police presence in our communities," Piacenza said, adding that the group also wants more data collection and analysis targeted to specific types of crime so resources can be applied more precisely.
Piacenza praised recent investments in sidewalks, greenways and microtransit but urged follow-up with users over the next 12–18 months to test whether changes are having the intended impact. He said the CBAC supports adapting the new parking program in response to user feedback and accessibility concerns.
On housing, the CBAC asked the city to set aside property-tax increases to expand affordable-housing production, rehabilitation and services for unhoused or under-housed residents and to broaden eligibility for programs such as the city’s transforming urban residential neighborhoods initiative.
The group also recommended exploring options to expand access to collection and disposal services to reduce illegal dumping and suggested a formal city sustainability policy to guide long-term alternative-fuel investments for fleets and facilities.
Piacenza closed by noting limitations of survey data at the ward level and urged the city to pursue more granular outreach so local concerns are not overlooked. He left the council with a 26-page report and asked staff to distribute the full report and slides to council members.
