PITTSBURG – The Pittsburg City Council unanimously adopted a $62.8 million general fund budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year, adding about 1.9% more in expenses than the budget.
Although the city projects revenues of almost $62.2 million, it is also anticipating a deficit of about $622,000.
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During the Pittsburg City Council meeting last week, Assistant City Manager Maria M. Aliotti said the city strives for a balanced budget.
“As you know, it’s been our practice that if we were 1% of our operating budget, we can usually recover through attrition and some savings because we don’t really spend,” said Aliotti.
Aliotti noted that the city’s overall revenue has increased by $1.27 million compared to the 2024-25 year-end estimate, primarily due to an increase in non-departmental revenues. These consist of various funding sources, such as sales taxes, transit occupancy taxes, property taxes, and various franchise fees.
Aliotti said the Pittsburg Police Department is also seeing a revenue hike of almost $800,000, 85% of which comes from the community facilities district.
Despite an overall increase in revenue, the city is facing higher expenditures, primarily due to $2.1 million channeled toward personnel-related costs.
According to a city staff report, some of the contributing factors include a 2% cost-of-living adjustment, additional unfunded accrued liability, general liability and workers’ compensation insurance, and medical and dental insurance.
Aliotti said the city manager tasked departments with staying within the 2025-26 fiscal year budget, “and they’ve knocked it out of the park.”
Among the 16 departments supported within the general fund, the Code Enforcement Department saw an increase of 24% in expenses, while the Public Works Department saw a 46% drop in its expenses compared to the 2024-25 mid-year budget.
The police department has also requested about $405,000 under the capital expenditure to outfit 10 patrol cars and purchase equipment for its canine program.
The staff report noted that the city’s general fund reserve is 31%, or about $19.2 million, of its operating budget. It also noted that the budget stabilization fund has a shortfall of $675,391 from the required $3.12 million.
Aliotti said the matter will be brought back to the Finance Management Subcommittee to discuss how to address the differences in the budget sustainability fund.
Mayor Jelani Killings thanked city staff for their effort to keep the budget in check.
“I know that we’re all trying to do more with less,” said Killings. “I know we have a big focus in terms of economic development, trying to identify additional revenues to come in, but also being able to live within our means, creating a standard in terms of the quality of life and the services that our residents expect and should receive.”