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City of Pleasanton Operating Budget • FY 2023/24 - FY 2024/251 <br />Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers, <br />In accordance with the City’s ordinance, it is my pleasure to present the FY 2023/24 and FY 2024/25 <br />Operating Budget (Budget) for the City of Pleasanton. This balanced Budget represents the City’s two- <br />year financial plan for delivering City programs and services in a fiscally responsible manner consistent <br />with the priorities, goals, and objectives adopted by the City Council. Collectively, the Budget, Capital <br />Budget, and four-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) provide funding for projects, programs, and <br />services consistent with the City Council’s previously adopted Two-year Work Plan. The City is currently <br />transitioning from a two-year work plan to a five-year strategic planning process that will identify <br />more comprehensive, longer-term goals, needs, and priorities. Through continuous collaboration with <br />the City Council, future budgets will address the goals and implement the priorities identified in the <br />Strategic Plan. <br />Overall, the General Fund Budget anticipates modest revenue growth over the next two years. That <br />growth will enable the City to continue providing valuable programs and services to the community. <br />It also allows the City to allocate $2.0 million annually to the capital program and approximately $4.0 <br />million to the Repair and Replacement funds, while maintaining reserves at levels consistent with the <br />City’s policy. <br />While the financial stability of the City is sound for the next two fiscal years, there are several trends <br />that could adversely affect the City’s fiscal health in subsequent years and will require prudent <br />decision-making to maintain the current service levels. In terms of revenues, the level of revenue <br />growth experienced in recent years is not likely to continue, as increases were largely fueled by the <br />unprecedented level of federal stimulus funding and business-friendly fiscal policies during the <br />COVID-19 pandemic. The City is expected to spend the remaining one-time American Rescue Plan Act <br />(ARPA) stimulus funding in the current fiscal year. Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) is one of the City’s <br />top revenue sources, and this revenue category decreased significantly during the pandemic. Although <br />revenue has shown improvements over the last two years, annual revenue at the $4.0 million level is <br />still well below the pre-pandemic level of $6.5 million. The City’s expenditures are projected to increase <br />at a slightly faster rate than the revenue growth in coming years. In particular, increasing pension <br />expenses through FY 2030/31 is putting pressure on the City’s budget. The lack of available resources <br />coupled with increasing operating costs will present challenges in the City’s ability to balance future <br />budgets. To ensure long-term fiscal sustainability, staff has begun developing strategies to identify <br />cost savings and potential new revenue options. <br />The following is an overview of the Budget, the City’s financial challenges, regional economy, and City <br />Council priorities reflected in the budget. <br />City Manager’s Budget Message <br />Gerry Beaudin <br />City Manager