Pleasanton council narrowly sets proposed FY2026–27 general fund budget, advancing tax-rate proposal

The Pleasanton City Council voted 4–3 to set the proposed FY2026–27 general fund budget after hearing a presentation from Brad Chambers, who said years of "inadequate accounting practices and insufficient oversight" made the process difficult but that staff had closed a roughly $2.5 million projected deficit through cuts, attrition holds and contract reviews.

"This budget was developed under [difficult] circumstances...Years of inadequate accounting practices and insufficient oversight have made it difficult to establish a clear and reliable picture of the city's financial position," Chambers said, and he described the package as "a conservative, responsible, and sustainable" step forward. Chambers gave the current ad valorem rate as 0.515645 per $100 taxable valuation and said the proposed rate would be 0.577011.

Council debate focused on whether to adopt the budget now or delay further review. Councilmember Christie pressed staff on reimbursements tied to airport hangars and asked whether outstanding receipts — previously discussed as roughly $850,000 — had been collected before voting. Chambers responded that the city had been reimbursed $809,000 related to that project.

Opponents warned the budget-setting vote did not resolve underlying questions about capital spending and recommended more workshops with financial advisers and the incoming finance controller to recode and reallocate funds. Supporters argued the proposal protected essential services and began to stabilize finances. After the discussion, the council approved the motion to set the proposed budget; the mayor called the result "motion passed" following the 4–3 tally.

The council's action sets the budget proposal for adoption steps required by local procedure; members who voted against the motion said they were not expressing no confidence in staff but wanted more time and options such as bond financing or land sales to avoid an immediate tax increase. The city manager and staff will continue work on implementation and present next steps to the council.