Overview:
The mayor said he is looking to employ a number of cost-saving measures, as he announced just last week that the city will face a $47 million budget deficit for the 2025 fiscal year.
After months of talking about belt-tightening at Fresno City Hall due to a looming budget deficit, Mayor Jerry Dyer is proposing a record-breaking $2 billion budget.
At a news conference Wednesday, Dyer said he is looking to employ a number of cost-saving measures, as he announced just last week that Fresno’s budget faces a $47 million deficit for the 2025 fiscal year.
Those cost-cutting measures include bonding for a new fire station and 911 emergency call center, since costs for both exceeded estimates. Dyer also mentioned that funding for hiring new police officers will not be included in the city budget next year, although the police department is already staffed at a record-high 926 sworn officers.
Dyer is set to propose his budget to the Fresno City Council on Thursday at council chambers. In June, the Fresno City Council will convene budget hearings, during which councilmembers will speak directly with city department heads.
Fresno’s budget hearings are also when members of the public can participate in the city budget process and express to elected leaders where they would like to see resources go.
After budget hearings, the Mayor’s administration typically goes into private budget negotiations with members of the city council. The city is currently getting sued over holding those negotiations in private for the last five years, and it’s unclear how that litigation could impact the process this year.
The budget is set to be finalized and approved by the Fresno City Council on either June 20 or June 27, depending on how fast negotiations progress after budget hearings wrap up.
Looking forward to cash-strapped Fresno filling potholes with more potholes, handing fistfuls of cash to developers for no good reason, shifting money from other departments to the police department, trying for a third time to pass a regressive sale tax meant to hook Richard Spencer up, and enticing more low-skill, low-wage factory jobs from employers looking to cheaply set up shop in already-polluted neighborhoods.