Following a handful of public hearings, the Goleta City Council this week adopted a two-year budget for the upcoming year that begins in July and for the 2022-23 fiscal year.
The council on Tuesday also unanimously approved a resolution adopting Goleta’s comprehensive capital improvement plan.
The city’s total budget revenue for fiscal year 2021-22 is about $50.1 million, with expenditures at $51 million. In fiscal year 2022-23, Goleta’s total revenues budget is about $60.9 million, with expenditures at $56.9 million.
The jump in revenue growth is because of special revenue funds and grants, as well as a slight uptick in the city’s general fund that’s anticipated with transient occupancy tax revenues.
The total budget is all funds, such as the city’s general fund, fiduciary funds, special revenue funds such as the gas tax, solid waste, special taxes, development impact fees and grants.
Scroll down to view Goleta’s complete operating budget and staff report featuring the capital improvement program budget and the comprehensive capital improvement plan.
The city’s general fund beginning balance for fiscal year 2021-22 will be at about $26.1 million and about $25.5 million for fiscal year 2022-23.
The budget report said the city’s general fund is proposed to have an ending fund balance of about $25.5 million for fiscal year 2021-22 and an ending balance in the fund for fiscal year 2022-23 of about $26 million.
The general fund is Goleta’s primary operating fund, and it includes services such as public safety, public works, library, finance, and planning and environmental.
The Goleta City Council previously had approved the recommended two-year operating budget, and Tuesday’s vote approved some changes to the proposed budget since it was last presented to the council.
The changes are related to the city’s general fund expenditures and transportation-related special revenue funds, according to Goleta staff.
Some changes that were approved were $13,000 for “community relations related to video production” and Spanish translation services of videos, as well as $5,500 for the cost of property tax premiums during fiscal year 2021-22.
In addition, some enhancements to services that were approved were related to the police contract with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, which was in the process of being finalized as of Tuesday’s Goleta City Council meeting.
The city’s budget includes $8.6 million in funding for the police services contract with the Sheriff’s Department during fiscal year 2021-22 and $8.9 million for fiscal year 2022-23.
City Manager Michelle Greene said that Goleta staff constructed a budget that’s balanced for both fiscal year 2021-22 and fiscal year 2022-23.
“Keep in mind there are still some unfunded projects and priorities that we will be coming back to council to discuss in the near future, including bringing a capital improvement program and capital maintenance funding plan to council, so we can start to move forward with the unfunded projects and priorities that are still on our list,” Greene said. “Having a balanced budget means our operating revenues are greater than our operating or ongoing expenditures, so that’s a good thing.”
Goleta’s revenue outlook is improving “since a year ago, when we looked at the immediate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that we were experiencing,” Greene told the council Tuesday.
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.