BAKERSFIELD CITY COUNCIL
POST-MEETING AGENDA
REGULAR MEETING
October 22, 2025, 3:30 p.m.
Council Chambers, City Hall, 1501 Truxtun Avenue
1. ROLL CALL
2. PUBLIC STATEMENTS
a. Non-Agenda Item Public Statements
b. Agenda Item Public Statements
3. REPORTS
a. First Quarter General Fund Budget Update
Staff will provide a presentation on first quarter financial performance.
Staff recommends receive and file.
*1. PowerPoint presentation
4. CLOSED SESSION
a. Conference with Labor Negotiator pursuant to Government Code Section 54957.6
5. CLOSED SESSION ACTION
6. ADJOURNMENT
General Fund –
2025 Q1 Update
October 22, 2025 Page 2 of 7
Budget Outlook
The 2025 –26 bu dget is n ow in effect followin g a ch a llen gin g preparation process, and City staff efforts to produce a balanced budget are appreciated.
Long -term fi nanci al forecasts show that General Fund revenues are not keeping pace with rising operational costs, requ irin g proa ctive bu dget redu ction s to m a in ta in fis ca l s ta bility.
A five-y ear pl an proposes a 1 5% General Fund reducti on — starting with a 5% cut by FY 2027 —with periodic reviews to adj ust future targets as needed.
Initiated a hiring freeze for 2025 -26 to gen era te a ddition a l sav i ngs.
Hiring Freeze – 1st Quarter Results
Total of 150 positions held for a portion of the quarter 118 General Fund (inc PSVS)
30 Enterprise Funds
2 Special Revenue Funds
General Fund positions approved to fill – 25
Remaining frozen positions - 93
Forecast Methodology
General Fund salaries and benefits only
Based on Salaries and Benefits from September pay -periods Forecast builds in step -increases due to current employees Builds in projected increase of medical insurance costs Assumes hiring freeze remains for those iden tified pos ition s
General Fund Estimated Savings
General Fund Personnel Expenses Financial Summary
Category Amount
FY 2025 Actuals $278,326,429
FY 2026 Amended Budget $297,199,563 (a)
FY 2026 YTD Actuals (as of Q1) $98,485,781
FY 2026 Forecast $288,497,570 (b)
Variance Over/(Under) [ (a) – (b)] ($8,701,993)
Next Steps
Maintain GF Hiring Freeze
Final Closeout of FY2025
Carry -over of 20 25 projects will gen era te s a vin gs Review of department memos for 5% reduction for 2027