(Partial) June 2, 2025 - City Council Meeting

The City of San Leandro held a City Council meeting on June 2, 2025, primarily focused on reviewing and discussing the proposed fiscal year 2026-2027 biannual budget. The meeting included extensive public comments addressing community safety concerns, homelessness, and the impact of budget decisions on city services. The council and city staff presented detailed budget overviews for various departments including City Manager's Office, Human Resources, Information Technology, Library, Recreation and Parks, Human Services, Fire, Public Works, and Community Development. Key procurement-related discussions involved proposed staffing changes, reductions in part-time positions, funding allocations for capital projects such as fire station replacements and fleet vehicle purchases, and continuation of programs like the alternative response unit and encampment cleanup. The council deliberated on maintaining a $5 million emergency fund and a 20% fund balance reserve policy, the potential costs and necessity of a revenue measure campaign (budgeted at $500,000), and the impact of budget cuts on community services such as library hours and senior programs. The finance committee had directed departments to align expenses with projected revenues, resulting in significant budget reductions and strategic reallocations. The council expressed support for the proposed budget with some reservations about the revenue measure funding and emphasized the need for ongoing fiscal stewardship and exploring additional revenue sources. The meeting concluded with plans for further budget discussions and a public hearing scheduled for June 16, 2025, before final budget adoption by June 30, 2025.