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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/18/2026 - Proposed FY2027 Budget Committee Amendments Proposed FY2027 Budget Committee Amendments 1. Fund Balance Transfer and Gap Funding Requesting Party: Councilor Schlack Proposed Amendment: 1. Appropriate $36,000 of unanticipated fund balance from the Parks Bond to restore funding for Library staffing associated with the Adult Services Librarian and Youth Services Librarian positions. 2. Appropriate the remaining $2,714,000 of unanticipated fund balance from the Parks Bond to the Parks Utility Fund to support FY2027 operations and partially address the projected operating shortfall identified for the fund. The amendment references anticipated future Council discussions regarding long-term Parks and Recreation funding strategies. Fiscal Impact: 1. $36,000 increase in appropriations for Library operations 2. $2,714,000 increase in appropriations for the Parks Utility Fund. 3. Full allocation of the identified unanticipated Parks Bond Funds. Administrative Analysis: The proposed transfer would provide one-time operational support for the Library and Parks and Recreation funding during FY2027. The amendment does not establish a long-term structural funding solution for Parks and Recreation operations, and additional Council direction regarding future funding mechanisms may still be required. 2. Reallocation of Police Funding to Library Operations Requesting Party: Budget Committee Member McCool Proposed Amendment: The proposed amendment would reallocate $165,202 from the Police Department budget to the Library Fund in order to retain approximately 1.4 FTE currently proposed for reduction within Library operations. Fiscal Impact: 1. Reduction of $165,202 in Police Department appropriations. 2. Increase of $165,202 in Library appropriations. Administrative Analysis: Police Department staff indicated that reduction of additional police FTE directly affects core services, increases risk to critical service levels, and slows progress made through recent police reform initiatives. Eliminating sworn officer positions would require the Police Department to reevaluate their ability to deliver certain key community programs such as Community Oriented Policing, Mental Health Response Team, and School Resource Officer within the General Fund. 3. Reallocation of Proposed Library Reductions to Community Development Requesting Party: Budget Committee Member Darland Proposed Amendment: 1. The proposed amendment would shift the fiscal impact associated with the proposed 1.4 FTE Library reduction to the Community Development Department budget rather than implementing the reduction within Library operations. Fiscal Impact: • Reduction of $165,202 in Community Development appropriations. • Increase of $165,202 in Library appropriations. Department staff indicated that additional reductions within Community Development may affect staffing capacity, project delivery timelines, and ongoing planning functions. Administrative Analysis: In the FY27 Proposed Budget, the Community Development Department proposed a 16% reductions to personnel and materials and services expenditures within the General Fund. The proposal to further reduce Community Development's General Fund request would increase the reduction to 20% in total. Department staff indicated that additional reductions beyond those already included in the Proposed Budget could further affect operational capacity within both current planning and long-range planning functions. Potential operational impacts identified by the department include: • Increased development review timelines; • Reduced responsiveness to customer and development inquiries; • Increased risk of delays associated with state land use compliance requirements; • Delays or cancellation of grant-supported planning projects which include repayment of grant funds; and • Reduced capacity for policy and code updates associated with new state requirements. Department staff also indicated that reductions in staffing resources may affect the department's ability to maintain existing service levels across multiple planning functions.