Fresno City Council adopts $2.56 billion FY27 budget after amendments; orders audit of stadium deal
June 23, 2026 | Fresno City, Fresno County, California
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Fresno City Council on Tuesday adopted a $2.56 billion fiscal year 2027 budget after approving a string of amendments and motions to reconcile roughly $49.9 million in council requests.
Mayor: The mayor presented the final FY27 budget and told the council the city had faced a $34.5 million shortfall during reconciliation but was able to present a balanced plan after staff identified revenue adjustments and reallocated funds. “The city of Fresno faced a $34.5 million budget shortfall,” he said, and described using increased interest revenue, a restored $440,000 in card-room proceeds, an unexpected $330,000 settlement and property-sale proceeds to help close gaps.
Why it matters: The budget keeps core services funded while directing one-time and ongoing sums to community priorities. Highlights incorporated by the council during morning reconciliation include: $2 million to First 5 for early learning; an additional $300,000 for the eviction-protection program (bringing total budgeted eviction-protection resources to $1.8 million); $825,000 for nonprofit spay-and-neuter services (including a $300,000 match from Dogwood Animal Rescue); $500,000 set aside for site acquisition and design of a park near Adams Elementary; funding to add two firefighter drill schools to support hiring and training; and $75 million for street and sidewalk construction through pay-more-now programs and grants.
Public comment: During the public-comment period, Chris Thompson of Fresno TNR urged a long-term expansion of city support for spay-and-neuter programs and more transparent reporting. “In just the first half of 2026, Fresno TNR facilitated the spaying and neutering of over 4,500 cats,” Thompson said, asking the council to set a goal of dedicating at least 10% of Fresno Animal Center’s budget to prevention in FY28.
Stadium audit approved: Councilmember Arias moved — and the council approved without recorded opposition — a $50,000 allocation from District 3 infrastructure funds for an independent audit of the Diamond Baseball Holdings operational agreement for Chukchansi Stadium. Arias argued the review was needed after years of growing costs tied to private ownership of the team and stadium operations.
Other council actions: Members approved numerous district and program-level reallocations on the floor, including measure-P project adjustments, a $200,000 allocation from the Riverside Golf Course Fund to expand facilities for First Tee youth programming, restored funding for a local African-American community council with the Fresno Metro Black Chamber serving as fiscal agent, and a $50,000 midyear priority to evaluate additional chaplaincy funding for police and fire services.
Votes at a glance: The council voted to adopt the reconciled FY27 budget (final motion incorporating the reconciliation exhibit adopted during the meeting); a separate item (Item D, a gun-limit measure noted in the agenda) passed on a recorded count noted in the record as 5–2; the Diamond Baseball Holdings audit motion passed after no member recorded opposition; and the chaplaincy midyear priority was added by motion and passed.
Numbers and constraints: The final FY27 package totals about $2.56 billion; the general fund accounts for roughly $546.41 million, enterprise and internal-service funds total about $1.12 billion, and special revenues and grants amount to roughly $891.97 million, according to the mayor’s summary. The mayor and several council members emphasized the limits of city authority and the need for county and philanthropic partners to help sustain many nonprofit services.
What’s next: The council left the meeting open for a brief press conference and adjourned after concluding remarks. Several council members and the mayor urged nonprofits and county officials to seek additional outside funding sources, and staff flagged that some not-yet-funded motions could be prioritized in FY28 pending Measure P or other revenue changes.
(Reporting note: Quotes and attributions come directly from council and public remarks recorded during the budget hearing.)
Mayor: The mayor presented the final FY27 budget and told the council the city had faced a $34.5 million shortfall during reconciliation but was able to present a balanced plan after staff identified revenue adjustments and reallocated funds. “The city of Fresno faced a $34.5 million budget shortfall,” he said, and described using increased interest revenue, a restored $440,000 in card-room proceeds, an unexpected $330,000 settlement and property-sale proceeds to help close gaps.
Why it matters: The budget keeps core services funded while directing one-time and ongoing sums to community priorities. Highlights incorporated by the council during morning reconciliation include: $2 million to First 5 for early learning; an additional $300,000 for the eviction-protection program (bringing total budgeted eviction-protection resources to $1.8 million); $825,000 for nonprofit spay-and-neuter services (including a $300,000 match from Dogwood Animal Rescue); $500,000 set aside for site acquisition and design of a park near Adams Elementary; funding to add two firefighter drill schools to support hiring and training; and $75 million for street and sidewalk construction through pay-more-now programs and grants.
Public comment: During the public-comment period, Chris Thompson of Fresno TNR urged a long-term expansion of city support for spay-and-neuter programs and more transparent reporting. “In just the first half of 2026, Fresno TNR facilitated the spaying and neutering of over 4,500 cats,” Thompson said, asking the council to set a goal of dedicating at least 10% of Fresno Animal Center’s budget to prevention in FY28.
Stadium audit approved: Councilmember Arias moved — and the council approved without recorded opposition — a $50,000 allocation from District 3 infrastructure funds for an independent audit of the Diamond Baseball Holdings operational agreement for Chukchansi Stadium. Arias argued the review was needed after years of growing costs tied to private ownership of the team and stadium operations.
Other council actions: Members approved numerous district and program-level reallocations on the floor, including measure-P project adjustments, a $200,000 allocation from the Riverside Golf Course Fund to expand facilities for First Tee youth programming, restored funding for a local African-American community council with the Fresno Metro Black Chamber serving as fiscal agent, and a $50,000 midyear priority to evaluate additional chaplaincy funding for police and fire services.
Votes at a glance: The council voted to adopt the reconciled FY27 budget (final motion incorporating the reconciliation exhibit adopted during the meeting); a separate item (Item D, a gun-limit measure noted in the agenda) passed on a recorded count noted in the record as 5–2; the Diamond Baseball Holdings audit motion passed after no member recorded opposition; and the chaplaincy midyear priority was added by motion and passed.
Numbers and constraints: The final FY27 package totals about $2.56 billion; the general fund accounts for roughly $546.41 million, enterprise and internal-service funds total about $1.12 billion, and special revenues and grants amount to roughly $891.97 million, according to the mayor’s summary. The mayor and several council members emphasized the limits of city authority and the need for county and philanthropic partners to help sustain many nonprofit services.
What’s next: The council left the meeting open for a brief press conference and adjourned after concluding remarks. Several council members and the mayor urged nonprofits and county officials to seek additional outside funding sources, and staff flagged that some not-yet-funded motions could be prioritized in FY28 pending Measure P or other revenue changes.
(Reporting note: Quotes and attributions come directly from council and public remarks recorded during the budget hearing.)
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