CITY COUNCIL MEETING
SPECIAL MEETING/BUDGET STUDY SESSION
Special Meeting May 20, 2025
5:30 P.M. Nick Rodriguez Community Center
5:30 P.M. – SPECIAL MEETING/BUDGET STUDY SESSION
Mayor Bernal called the Special Meeting to order at 5:33 P.M., and City Clerk Rhodes called the roll.
Present: Council Members District 1 Torres-Walker, District 3 Freitas, District 4 Wilson, and Mayor Bernal
Absent: Mayor Pro Tem (District 2) Rocha
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Mayor Bernal led the Pledge of Allegiance.
BUDGET STUDY SESSION
1. FISCAL YEAR 2025-27 BUDGET DEVELOPMENT – GENERAL FUND City Manager Scott presented the staff report dated May 20, 2025, recommending the City Council provide feedback and direction on the General Fund budget models presented.
Model 1
Finance Director Merchant presented the General Fund Budget - Model 1, and City Manager Scott presented Model 1 mitigation and impacts.
The City Council engaged in a discussion regarding the presentation and provided the following direction to staff which included:
Include allocation for succession planning in the Finance Department Model 2
Finance Director Merchant presented the General Fund Budget - Model 2, and City Manager Scott presented Model 2 mitigation and impacts.
The City Council engaged in a discussion regarding the presentation and provided the following direction to staff which included:
Provide costs associated with contractors performing the duties of the Senior Engineer and Assistant Engineer
Remove - Public Works – Reducing landscape expenditures by $1M in each fiscal year Model 3
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Finance Director Merchant presented the General Fund Budget - Model 3, and City Manager Scott presented Model 3 mitigation and impacts.
The City Council engaged in a discussion regarding the presentation and provided the following direction to staff which included:
Hire the Community Development Director first so they could hire the Senior Economic Development Program Manager
Mayor Bernal stated he did not support adding any new positions; however, he would consider the grant writer to the extent they create enough revenue, to be a net positive.
Models 4 and 5
Finance Director Merchant presented the General Fund Budget - Models 4 and 5, and City Manager Scott presented Models 4 and 5 mitigation and impacts.
The City Council engaged in a discussion regarding the presentation and provided the following direction to staff which included:
Remove employee furloughs from consideration
Provide the financial impact of fully staffing every department Additional Budget Considerations
Public Works Budget
Additional Street Sweeping Services – bring item back with full Council for consideration Part-time help for Facilities Maintenance Division – include a place holder Fleet Vehicle and Equipment Purchases – add to the vehicle replacement fund Public Safety and Community Resources – Environmental Resources Climate Action and Resilience Plan (CARP) – bring item back with the proposed numbers and funding recommendations
Non-Departmental Budget
Chinese History Project – return funds to the reserves Non-profit Capacity Building Grants – return funds to reserves and bring back parameters for a citywide process
Other
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Special Meeting
May 20, 2025 Page 3 of 4
Vehicle Replacement Fund Set Aside – include in budget and bring back presentation on service needs and anticipated costs for future years
Additional Discussion
Continue making fully amortized payments and provide updated costs for OPEB Bring back financial impact of freezing general fund vacancies except for APD, Code Enforcement and other essential positions
Provide revenue projections for the Master Fee Schedule increases Direction to go to a one-year budget with monthly reports to Council Mayor Bernal announced that the City remains at an approximate $10 million deficit, and further deliberation will be necessary to identify strategies for reducing that amount.
Public Comment
Youth Services Network Manager Cabral representing the City of Antioch’s Management Bargaining Unit discussed the importance of sustaining operations and the workforce. She expressed concern for the furlough proposals and discussed the negative impacts of this direction. She also expressed concern that the proposals were made public prior to bargaining units being consulted. She requested Council adopt the model that upholds service to the public and wellbeing of those who would be served.
Bruce Cooke Jr., Public Works, Brian Connelly Water Treatment Plant, Eric Strongman, Stacy McPherson, David Wilson, Water Treatment Plant, David Davi, Corey Johnston, Public Works, Warren Spohn, Public Works, and Todd Northam expressed concern that Council was considering budget models with furloughs that would negatively impact employees and city services. Several speakers suggested working with the employees to develop viable solutions.
Leslie May spoke in opposition to furloughs and reducing the budget for the Angelo Quinto Crisis Response Team (AQCRT). She questioned what the City had paid out in lawsuits.
Melissa Case spoke in support of hiring a Chief of Staff in the City Manager’s department and Senior Economic Development Program Manager. She encouraged Council to reach out to the community for help and commended the employees who performed park maintenance.
Councilmember Torres-Walker requested staff provide the following:
Encampment enforcement expenditures
Case settlements
Overtime costs
Breakdown of ARPA funding
She stated that, along with Councilmember Freitas, they had advocated for this discussion to take place during a Budget Study Session, and she noted it was unfortunate that the employees
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were not included in the conversations. She discussed Council and staff’s efforts to remain transparent throughout the Budget process.
Councilmember Wilson thanked those in attendance this evening and apologized for not including the bargaining units in the budget discussions. She stated she would not support any furloughs and discussed the need to work with the employees to identify long-term solutions.
She encouraged the employees to reach out to Council and remain a part of the conversation.
Councilmember Freitas attributed the success of the City to its dedicated employees. He explained that the City was in a budget crisis and Council was attempting to address this matter and bring back pride in the community. He encouraged City Manager Scott to meet with the unions and encouraged the employees to become part of the conversation.
Mayor Bernal thanked everyone in attendance this evening. He reported Council had held several Budget Study Sessions and next week they would be reviewing the City Manager’s Budget and the CIP. He noted they wanted a thorough process to ensure everyone was aware of the challenges in balancing the budget. He noted a one-year budget with monthly updates would allow Council to move forward with all information needed to make informed decisions.
He encouraged the employees and public to remain involved in the budget process.
ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Bernal adjourned the meeting at 7:50 P.M.
Respectfully submitted:
Kitty Eiden
KITTY EIDEN, Minutes Clerk