Chula Vista City Council approved a $534 million budget last week for the fiscal year 2022-23 to improve and repair the city's infrastructure, create jobs, and deliver municipal services to residents.
The budget includes $249 for its general fund to pay for the city’s day-to-day operations and $50.5 million for its Capital Improvement Program (CIP) with the remaining funds to pay for maintaining open space districts and operations. According to the budget, 2023 Proposed All Funds expenditures reflect an increase of $60.8 million compared to the previous year.
The new general fund expenditure budget is $249 million beginning July 1, reflecting an increase of $30.9 million compared to the current fund expenditures. The city plans to spend its general fund in the following areas:
- $96.5 million for non-departmental
- $53 million for the Police Department
- $30 million for the Fire Department
- $14 million for Public Works
- $12 million for Parks and Recreation
- $10 million for Engineering and Capital Projects
- $4 million for Information Technology
- $4 million for Finance Department
- $3.9 million for Economic Development
- $3.5 million for Libraries
- $3 million for Animal Care Facility
- $3 million for City Attorney
- $3 million for Human Resources
- $2.6 million for Developmental Services
- $2.5 million for Administration
- $1.5 million for City Council
- $1.3 million for City Clerk
- $900,000 for Boards and Commission.
With Measure P expiring in 2028, the city will see less general fund revenue. Approved in November 2016, Measure P is a temporary, ten-year, half-cent sales tax dedicated to funding high property deferred maintenance items such as infrastructure, fleet replacement, technology, and other capital equipment. Measure P will generate approximately $26 million.
The budget also projects about $26 million in revenue from Measure A, a half-cent sales tax dedicated to addressing public safety staffing and services that was approved by voters in October 2018.
The city added nine Measure A-related positions and 30 positions in several other departments such as administration, animal care services, engineering, and economic development. There are positions added to transportation, including emergency responders such as paramedics and emergency medical technicians.
According to the budget, Chula Vista's largest expense under its general fund is personnel services, which increased by $5.4 million to $103 million.
The city’s major revenue sources in the fiscal year 2022-23 with increases of about $1.4 million in property taxes, 1.6 million in franchise fees, $2 million for motor vehicle license fees, $3.8 million in sales tax revenues, and $5.7 million in both Measure A and Measure P revenues.
According to City Manager Maria Kachadoorian, six of the 39 positions were funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which is a spending plan adopted last year that continues to support households, businesses, and impacted industries and essential workers hardest hit by the pandemic.
The city is poised to receive its second allocation of $28 million in ARPA funding. According to Kachadoorian, the additional funds will be invested in health, operational support, infrastructure projects, and economic development initiatives in the fiscal year 2023-23. Chula Vista is expected to spend the federal money by Dec.31, 2026.
