COUNCIL BUDGET & FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING
Meeting Minutes of January 21, 2026
Call to Order: 5:32 p.m.
Members Present: Mayor Salinas, Councilmember Bonilla Jr, Councilmember Syrop Members Absent: None
Staff: Jennifer Ott, Mary Thomas, DeAnna Hilbrants, Nicholas Mullins, Franchesca Hatfield, Crissy Mello Guests: None
Public Comments: None
Review and Approve of the Council Budget and Finance Committee December 17, 2025, Meeting Minutes Moved by Councilmember Bonilla Jr., Second by Syrop
Action: Minutes reviewed and unanimously approved.
Report and Discussion of Status of Fiscal Year 2025/26 Budget Activities Management Analyst Nicholas Mullins presented.
Action: The Committee received the report and had no questions.
Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Process Plan and Development Calendar Management Analyst Franchesca Hatfield Presented.
Mayor Salinas Questions:
Can we have a strategy or plan on announcing the budget process and timeline to the community and be a little bit more intentional on sending the budget out? We can work with the Communications team and develop a communications plan to announce the budget timelines and gain public feedback.
Councilmember Bonilla Jr. Questions:
Councilmember agreed visuals on the budget would be beneficial for the public and asked for a better understanding of what funds are used for under a vacant position.
We can certainly work to give you at least a starting percent vacancy report and some ideas of what the different departments are doing.
Councilmember Syrop Questions:
How soon can we have visuals finalized to help us with the draft budget to assist with the budget conversations we’ll be having the next few months? We don’t have to wait for the draft budget. We can look at some visuals and bring samples like we did for the monthly reports.
Councilmember requested frequent vacancy reports to review needs of vacant positions. Understanding the context of the vacancies helps Council determine where to allocate funds to meet the needs of the residents.
In regard to the budget philosophy and making sure there are guidelines in place to help not fall into this position again. When would those kind of recommendations come forward to Council? It’s on your next agenda item. Budget policy, it’s aspirational at this point but our guiding source.
Is February 18th too soon to have a conversation on budget policy if we can’t implement it all now? We’re better served to do that now in this difficult time.
Action: The Committee received the report and staff will complete requests.
Review and Approve the 2026 Council Budget and Finance Committee Agenda Planning Calendar Director of Finance DeAnna Hilbrants Presented.
Councilmember Bonilla Jr. Questions:
When will the audit get done?
We’re typically done by December 31st for our award. That’s the ideal timeline and always going to be our goal. We just have a really big focus on budget.
Requested to continue monthly updates on budget going into 2027.
Requested a lesson’s learned document for the February 28 meeting.
Action: The Committee received the report and staff will complete requests.
Committee Members/Staff Announcements: None.
Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 6:21 p.m.
ATTACHMENT I