Economic and
Community
Development
Department Mission: Connecting people and places, the Economic & Community Development Department empowers and inspires projects that develop prosperity, create equitable opportunities, and apply solutions-oriented problem-solving to build a thriving Bakersfield.
Fiscal Year
2025-26
Proposed
Budget
Proposed Budget FY 2025-26
Actual Adopted Proposed Increase / Increase /
Costs Budget Budget (Decrease) (Decrease)
2023-24 2024-25 2025-26 in Dollars % Change
Expenditures
Personnel Services 3,073,115$ 3,215,427$ 3,854,783$ 639,356$ 19.88% Operations 13,735,529$ 18,192,194$ 16,659,638$ (1,532,556)$ -8.42% Capital Outlay 3,587,747$ 5,500,000$ -$ (5,500,000)$ -100.00% Total Expenditures 20,396,391$ 26,907,621$ 20,514,421$ (6,393,200)$ -23.76% Funding Sources
General Fund 5,395,698$ 302,998$ 448,472$ 145,474$ 48.01% General Fund - PSVS 2,997,585$ 16,862,253$ 14,474,018$ (2,388,235)$ -14.16% Entitlement Funds 6,371,924$ 4,242,370$ 5,079,488$ 837,118$ 19.73% Transformative Climate -$ -$ 512,443$ 512,443$ 100.00% Capital Outlay Fund 3,587,747$ 5,500,000$ -$ (5,500,000)$ 0.00% Total Funding Sources 18,352,954$ 26,907,621$ 20,514,421$ (6,393,200)$ -23.76%
FY 2025-26 Economic and Community
Development Department Summary
2 2FY 2025-26 Proposed Budget
Budget Changes and New Proposals
• 4.86% operating increase for the Brundage Lane Navigation Center, from $7,400,000 to $7,776,000.
• Reclassification of 1 Administrative Analyst II to an ECD Specialist resulting in salary savings.
Economic and Community Development
Economic & Community Development
Department Accomplishments
3 3FY 2025-26 Proposed Budget
• Allocated $6.5 million of ARPA funding to implement
the Bakersfield Community Land Trust. 37 City-owned
lots to be transferred for affordable housing
development. (Council Goal 2)
• Funding for Renaissance at Baker mixed-use project,
including 85 units of affordable housing. Completion
by end of May, 2025. (Council Goal 2)
• Funding for Letzring Affordable Senior Housing
Development, construction of 150 units. Completion
September, 2026. (Council Goal 2)
• Assisted 9 first-time homebuyers with down payment
assistance. (Council Goal 2)
• Assisted 42 Homeowners with Home Weatherization
and Rehabilitation. (Council Goal 2)
Economic and Community Development
Renaissance at Baker
Economic & Community Development
Department Accomplishments
4 4FY 2025-26 Proposed Budget
• Awarded $1,500,000 in Entrepreneurship Grants to
provide support to 883 small businesses including
477 start-up Microbusinesses. Total of 290.5 full-
time equivalent jobs created. (Council Goal 1)
• Purchased 5 chronic nuisance/infill lots for
redevelopment and 14 tax default properties to be
transferred to Bakersfield Community Land Trust.
(Council Goal 1, 2, 4)
• Completed the Old Town Kern Visualization with
architect designing a vision plan for the Baker
Street/Old Town Kern Area. (Council Goal 4)
Economic and Community Development
Economic & Community Development
Department Accomplishments
5 5FY 2025-26 Proposed Budget
• Completed 50 bed Expansion at the Brundage
Lane Navigation Center. (Council Goal 2)
• Assisted 95 individuals to permanent housing.
(Council Goal 2)
• Assisted 276 individuals with Rental Assistance.
(Council Goal 2)
• Completed 2025-2030 Consolidated Plan for
the Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) for continued compliance
to receive entitlement funding. (Council Goal 1,
3, 4)
Economic and Community Development
City staff painting at Brundage Lane Navigation Center
for Volunteer Big Kern Day.
FY 2025-26 Economic and Community
Development Personnel Overview
6 6FY 2025-26 Proposed Budget
Personnel Changes
• Reclassification of one Administrative Analyst position to an ECD Specialist.
• Addition of 5 competitive grant-funded positions under the Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) Grant,
CaliforniansForAll Youth Workforce Development Grant
and EPA Community Change Grant (CCG).
Economic and Community Development
ECD Department # of Positions
Economic Development 7
Community Development 3
Homeless Services 3
Affordable Housing 4
Prosperity Neighborhoods/TCC 2
Fiscal and Administrative Services 4
Grant Funded 5
Total FY 2025-26 Full-Time Positions 28
15 28
30 20
23 23
1 5
0 5
10 15
20 25
30 35
FY 2020-21 FY 2021-22 FY 2022-23 FY 2023-24 FY 2024-25 FY 2025-26 # of Employees – Economic & Community
Development Department
FTE Competitive Grant Funded
FY 2025-26 Economic & Community
Development Department
7 7FY 2025-26 Proposed Budget
Questions?
Economic and Community Development