On Monday, June 26, the Tehachapi City Council approved a balanced $39.7 million budget for fiscal year 2023-24. The approved budget also addressed subsequent balanced years through 2027-28. The budget includes all operating funds within the City including the General Fund, enterprise funds such as Water, Sewer, Airport, Transit and Refuse, and capital project funds.
City Manager Greg Garrett and the City’s finance department have been working for the last five months on the budget preparation process and the accounting for the coming fiscal year after collaborating with the City’s various departments on their budget submissions. The presentation at Monday’s Special Budget City Council Meeting included a detailed overview of all funds.
“It is great to have a balanced budget for our citizens, I appreciate how hard our city staff has worked to not only make sure we operate with a balanced budget but to also project out for five years of vision for our city,” said Mayor Michael Davies.
Additionally, the City’s general fund has strong reserves of over $14.6 million to allow for emergencies, unforeseen needs, and capital projects in the coming years. This year’s Measure S revenue is allowing for the addition of one new Public Works beautification worker and two new Public Works seasonal employees to repair streets and potholes and keep public areas safe and clean. The new revenue source is also allowing the City to recruit, train, and retain newly added public safety positions of lieutenant, sergeant, two officers, and a 9-1-1 dispatcher as well as fund the City’s increasing contract costs for fire protection.
With the enterprise funds of Water and Sewer providing a valuable service to customers, those departments also have reserves to allow for considerable capital investment into infrastructure. Rate studies are budgeted in the coming fiscal year to ensure existing rate structures are adequate to maintain fiscal sustainability in future years.