City of El Cajon City Council - 06/09/2026

The El Cajon City Council held a meeting on June 9, 2026, focusing extensively on budgetary challenges and public safety funding. Key procurement-related discussions included the awarding of two-year contracts for homeless services: $500,000 to Family Health Centers of San Diego for street outreach and $210,261.84 to the San Diego Rescue Mission for emergency shelter operations. The council reviewed the preliminary annual budget for fiscal year 2026-2027, highlighting a projected revenue shortfall of approximately $6 million due to slower sales tax growth and the need to use reserves to balance the budget. Significant debate centered on proposed budget cuts affecting public safety, including potential layoffs in the police department, the closure of the city’s crime lab, and reallocation of fire department resources such as the brownout of squad 6. Public safety representatives strongly opposed cuts, emphasizing the impact on service quality and firefighter morale. The council discussed exploring alternative cost-saving measures, including reducing parks and recreation services and seeking revenue from other jurisdictions using the crime lab. The meeting concluded with the adoption of an ordinance amending the city’s contract with the California Public Employees Retirement System. No new capital improvement projects were approved, but staff indicated future CIP spending would be addressed in upcoming reports.