Redlands delays budget vote as council pushes for more public safety funding

REDLANDS, Calif. — The Redlands City Council postponed adoption of the city's proposed two-year budget for 2027-2028, directing staff to return June 16 with additional information on labor negotiations, public safety staffing and future fire station funding.

Budget delayed amid economic concerns

The proposed budget comes as city officials warn that Redlands faces a more challenging financial environment than in recent years. Property tax growth has slowed to roughly 4% annually while sales tax growth has flattened to 1% to 2%, a significant shift from the gains seen in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the budget preserves core city services and funds major projects, staff projections show the city may need to reduce General Fund spending by about $4.5 million beginning in fiscal year 2029 to maintain healthy reserve levels. 

Major projects remain funded

Among the budget's major priorities are continued funding for Safety Hall, design work for Fire Station 264, replacement of the library's cooling tower HVAC system, public safety equipment upgrades and ongoing homelessness response efforts.

"Our ultimate goals in budgeting are always to make sure we're providing great services to the citizens and while doing that, that we're able to ride out any of the cyclical nature of the economy,” City Manager Charles Duggan told the council. 

The budget also includes funding for community projects such as the Texonia Park Revitalization Project, Sylvan Park restroom improvements and roof replacement at the Joslyn Senior Center.

Not all proposed projects made the final budget. Deferred or unfunded requests include a proposed pump track at the skate park, fencing improvements near the Prospect Park theater area and the Food Security Task Force initiative.

The city projects Measure T sales tax revenues of approximately $20.6 million in fiscal year 2027 and $21.3 million in fiscal year 2028. Those funds will support public safety operations, homelessness services, infrastructure maintenance, parks, recreation programs and facility improvements.

The budget also includes approximately $4 million in service reductions, primarily within the Facility and Community Services Department to balance increasing personnel, construction, insurance, utility and contracted service costs.

Duggan said the reductions are largely the result of scaling back enhanced service levels implemented after the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, the city has reduced spending on tree trimming after addressing a significant maintenance backlog in recent years and shifting toward routine maintenance.

Departments were also instructed to focus on core services and absorb the costs of any new positions or supplemental requests within their existing budgets rather than increasing overall spending.

Council questions fire and police staffing

Council members spent much of their discussion focused on whether the budget does enough to address staffing shortages in the police and fire departments.

"Over the last 22 years, emergency call volume has increased 71% while sworn firefighter staffing has remained essentially unchanged," Councilmember Denise Davis said.

She said she was reluctant to support the budget without a stronger commitment to adding six firefighter-paramedic positions requested by the department and a clearer timeline for development of a future fifth fire station.

"We really need to put our resources into our public safety," she said.“I'm having a hard time supporting this budget without a firm commitment to increasing our public safety staffing, specifically the six firefighters that the department has asked for and a commitment also to a timeline for station five.”

Other council members echoed concerns about staffing shortages.

Council member Paul Barich said the Police Department remains approximately 13 officers short of full staffing and noted that some nights only five or six patrol units are available to cover the city's 35 square miles.

"It's not for lack of trying," Barich said. "We're trying the best we can."

When asked about adding six firefighter-paramedics sooner than planned, Duggan said the positions were originally proposed for the second year of the budget cycle and accelerating them would require approximately $1.4 million in additional funding or equivalent spending reductions elsewhere.

Council members also discussed ongoing labor negotiations with the city's nine bargaining units.

Barich, who made the motion to continue the item, said he wanted additional time to better understand how future salary and benefit agreements could affect city finances.

"Salary and benefits are probably one of the largest items here," he said. "I'd feel much better if we're closer in negotiation."

Long-term outlook raises concerns

While officials described the city's short-term financial outlook as stable, staff warned that the city's long-range financial model shows growing pressure on the General Fund.

Finance Director Danielle Garcia said projections indicate the city will need to reduce General Fund spending by approximately $4.5 million beginning in fiscal year 2029 to avoid drawing reserves down to unsustainable levels.

"If those corrections aren't made before and beyond that point, the impact is sudden and pretty steep," Garcia told council members.

To prepare for those challenges, city staff will conduct a department-by-department review during the next two years to identify core services, establish spending priorities and develop options for future reductions if revenue growth fails to keep pace with rising costs.

Next steps

Following discussion, council voted 4-0 to continue consideration of the budget until its June 16 meeting.

Staff is expected to return with updated information on labor negotiations, public safety staffing options and the potential costs associated with expanding fire services.