CITY COUNCIL
Kevin McCarty, Mayor
Lisa Kaplan, District 1
Roger Dickinson, District 2
Karina Talamantes, Vice Mayor, District 3
Phil Pluckebaum, District 4
Caity Maple, District 5
Eric Guerra, Mayor Pro Tem, District 6
Rick Jennings, II, District 7
Mai Vang, District 8
CHARTER OFFICERS
Mindy Cuppy, City Clerk
Gustavo Limón Martinez, City Attorney
Farishta Ahrary, City Auditor
Maraskeshia Smith, City Manager
John Colville, City Treasurer
City Council
Financing Authority
Housing Authority
Public Financing Authority
Redevelopment Agency Successor Agency
City Hall Complex
915 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
Published by the Office of the City Clerk
(916) 808-7200
AMENDMENT MATERIAL
Description: Attached is amendment material received after publishing the agenda. Updating attachment 7-Fire Department Presentation.
For the Meeting of: Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.
Agenda Item: Discussion Item 16
16. Early Budget Work Session - Budget Context and City Department Reports on Departmental Budgets, Reduction Strategies, and Potential Impacts (City Manager’s Office/Office of Innovation and Economic Development, Convention and Cultural Services, Department of Community Response, Fire Department, Police Department)
File ID: 2026-00663
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: Receive and file.
Contact: Peter Coletto, Director, (916) 808-5416,
[email protected], Department of Finance
City of Sacramento
City Council - 2PM Report
915 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cityofsacramento.org
File ID: 2026-00663 3/10/2026
Early Budget Work Session - Budget Context and City Department Reports on Departmental Budgets, Reduction Strategies, and Potential Impacts (City Manager’s Office/Office of Innovation and Economic Development, Convention and Cultural Services, Department of Community Response, Fire Department, Police Department) File ID: 2026-00663
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: Receive and file.
Contact: Peter Coletto, Director, (916) 808-5416, [email protected], Department of Finance
Presenter: Amy Williams, City Manager’s Chief of Staff, (916) 808-5014, [email protected], City Manager’s Office; Denise Malvetti, Deputy Director, (916) 808- 7064, [email protected], Office of Innovation and Economic Development; Megan Van Vanoorhis, Director, (916) 808-5979, [email protected], Convention and Cultural Services Department; Brian Pedro, Director, (916) 808-7816, [email protected], Department of Community Response; Chris Costamagna, Fire Chief, (916) 808-2200, [email protected], Fire Department; Katherine Lester, Police Chief, (916)808- 0800, [email protected], Police Department Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-BASELINE REDUCTION STRATEGIES - As of March 4, 2026
3-Fiscal Year 2026/27 Early Budget Work Session Presentation 4-City Manager / Office of Innovation and Economic Development Presentation 5-Convention and Cultural Services Presentation
6-Department of Community Response Presentation
7-Fire Department Presentation
8-Police Department Presentation
Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: The City of Sacramento (City) is facing a structural budget deficit with ongoing expense
File ID: 2026-00663 3/10/2026
increases outpacing revenue growth and must close a forecasted $66.2 million gap to balance the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026/27 Budget.
In preparation for Council’s formal Budget Hearings in May, the City is conducting a series of Early Budget Work Sessions (EBWS) during March. The EBWS will begin with a presentation of the overall City budget context and fiscal challenge as well as different budget scenarios that City staff analyzed.
Following the budget context, City departments will provide budget-focused presentations focusing on the impacts of budget reduction decisions and alignment with Council priorities. The schedule will be as follows:
March 3, 2026
Budget Overview and Context
Balancing Scenarios
March 10, 2026
Baseline Balancing Plan Overview
City Manager / Office of Innovation and Economic Development Convention and Cultural Services
Department of Community Response
Fire Department
Police Department
March 17, 2026
Youth, Parks & Community Enrichment
Community Development Department
Finance
Human Resources
Information Technology
Department of Utilities
Public Works
March 24, 2026
City Attorney
City Auditor
City Clerk
City Treasurer
Office of Public Safety Accountability
Following the Early Budget Work Sessions, the City Manager will release a balanced Proposed Budget by the end of April, Council will hold formal Budget Hearings in May and adopt a balanced Final Budget in June.
File ID: 2026-00663 3/10/2026
Policy Considerations: Not applicable.
Economic Impacts: None.
Environmental Considerations: Not applicable.
Sustainability: Not applicable.
Commission/Committee Action: Not applicable.
Rationale for Recommendation: Not applicable.
Financial Considerations: Not applicable.
Fire Department
Department Mission & Services
The Sacramento Fire
Department protects the
community through
effective, innovative public
safety services, guided by
honor, respect, courage,
integrity, and devotion to
duty.
2 It responds to fires, medical emergencies,
hazardous materials incidents, technical
rescues, and water rescues to keep the
Sacramento community safe. Through
the Office of Emergency Management,
the department also coordinates
disaster preparedness, mitigation,
response, and recovery efforts citywide.
Department Mission Services
Department Structure
3 Total FTE: 767.5 (685 Sworn/80.5 Professional Staff)
Current Year Budget ($ millions)
4 General Fund Budget
Appropriations $227.8
Revenues $72.7
Net General Fund $155.1
Full-Time Equivalent Positions 767.5
The Fire Department’s total budget is $155.1M.
General Fund
Appropriation By
Division
($ millions)
5 Administration
3.0 1%
Arson
Investigations
and Code
Enforcement,
8.7 4%
Special
Operations,
$1.3
1%
Operations
And
Training
$151.9
66%
Community
Response &
EMS
$45.2,
20%
Support
Services
$17.6
8%
General Fund
By
Division
General Fund
Appropriation By
Spending Category
($ millions)
6 Reimbursements,
-$2.4
-1%
Salaries & Benefits,
$198.2
85%
Services & Supplies,
$31.2
14%
Total
$227.8
15% Reduction Options Summary ($ millions)
7 Reduction
Category
Savings
Amount Vacant FTE Filled FTE Total FTE
Revenue $9.4 - - -
Level 1 $3.6 (8.0)* - (8.0)*
Level 2 $0.3 - 1.0 1.0
Level 3 - - - -
Level 4 $10.3 32.0 23.0 55.0
Total $23.5 24.0 24.0 48.0
*Single role implementation results in more net positions at a lower total cost.
Budget Balancing
Impacts
8 Revenue Increases ($9.8M)
• Aligning budget with projections for the
following revenue sources (no changes in fee or
charge amounts):
• Fire District Reimbursements
• Emergency Medical Services – Advanced Life
Support
• Emergency Medical Services – IGT Program
• Fire Prevention
Single Role Implementation ($3.6M)
• Continued implementation of Single Role
program to allow dispatching of emergency
services without having to send fire suppression
teams.
Budget Balancing
Impacts
9 Staffing Realignment ($0.3M)
• The Diversity, Outreach, and Recruitment
Division will be realigned to minimize impact on
the program while maintaining the mission, but a
vacant position will be eliminated.
Service Reductions ($5.3M)
• Elimination of vacant positions and
implementation of dynamic staffing will result in
longer response times, reduced operational
capacity, increased risk of injury for all
firefighters, and diminished community outreach.
However, no sworn Fire personnel would
be separated from the City.
Preserving Core Services & Advancing Council Priorities 10 Our mission is clear: protecting life, property, and the wellbeing of our community must remain our highest priority. As we navigate fiscal challenges, preserving core fire and EMS services is essential to maintaining rapid emergency response, firefighter safety, and community trust.
Every decision we make must reinforce our ability to deliver effective, and reliable public safety services. By safeguarding frontline operations, we protect not only our residents today but the long-term resilience of our city.
Together, we will continue advancing the City’s priorities while maintaining the core services the community depends on every single day.
Questions & Comments