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Monte Sereno council adopts FY 2026–27 budget, will revisit once actuals are known
Summary
The council approved the city’s FY 2026–27 budget on a 5–0 vote. Staff said revenues are projected at just under $5.1 million and expenses just under $5.3 million; two expenditures will be deferred until midyear review.
The Monte Sereno City Council voted unanimously June 16 to adopt the city’s proposed fiscal year 2026–27 budget, with members agreeing to revisit the plan after the close of the current fiscal year and once actual results are available.
Staff summarized the proposed budget in the public hearing, saying: "In summary, the total, budgeted revenues are just under 5,100,000, and the expenses are just under 5,300,000," and noting two expenditures — recruitment for a vacant administrative assistant position and additional CalPERS payments for unfunded pension liabilities — would be postponed until the midyear review. City staff said postponing those items and using reserves, if necessary, would balance near-term finances while the council determines long-term revenue strategies.
Council members pressed staff on the main drivers of the budget gap. Staff identified the two largest expense lines: police services (about $1,500,000) and staffing costs (about $1,700,000). In response, multiple council members urged fuller implementation of the city’s new Tyler accounting system to get cleaner data on departmental revenues and fees so decisions can be based on account-level results rather than rough top-line estimates.
One council member also proposed a friendly amendment tying adoption to a condition: once final actual results for FY 2025–26 are known at the end of the month, the council will revisit the adopted budget prior to the formal midyear analysis. The council accepted that amendment and approved the budget by roll-call vote 5–0.
The council’s action leaves open midyear adjustments and directs staff to continue analyzing potential revenue options — including better grant-seeking and fee alignment — and to return with more refined figures once Tyler-generated data are available.
