On Tuesday, May 4, Milpitas City Manager Steve McHarris put out the FY 2021-22 Proposed Budget, totaling $194.4 million. Minimal impacts to community services are evident, the budget is balanced, and no reserves or American Rescue Plan Act funds have been dipped into.
In a statement, City officials wrote that the new budget “reflects the continuation of the City’s fiscal discipline.”
At a Special City Council Meeting coming up on May 11, the new budget will fall under City Council review.
Part of the budget’s balance is owed to Police, Fire, management, and confidential personnel waiving wage increases that had been previously planned. In the meantime, 10 City staff positions have been cut. These were in addition to the 14 positions cut by the City Council back in February, leading to 24 positions trimmed overall, or a 5% reduction in the size of the City staff. The new budget also boasts a $1.5 million Future Deficit Reserve, for use in emergencies.
McHarris meanwhile sounded a note of gratitude to Milpitas voters for voting in Measure F last November, which kicked up the city’s sales tax by ¼ cent. This stands to create $6.3 million in added revenue.
The new budget was crafted in accordance with community feedback gathered through direct engagement and a multilingual (English, Chinese, Spanish, Vietnamese) survey. Respondents prioritized Public Safety first, then Community Wellness and Open Space, followed by Transportation and Transit.
A public hearing and budget adoption will be held on June 1. City meetings are accessible through the City of Milpitas’ website; visitors can click on the City Council Agendas and Minutes link.
