Fiscal Year 2026 Budget

The Finance Department hosted a Budget Webinar on 5/21/25 to share information about the proposed fiscal year 2026 Annual Budget and to guide participants on possible ways to use our interactive budget tool. View the webinar.

Explore an interactive version of the FY 2026 Adopted Budget

Adopted Budget

(PDF, 26MB)FY 2026 Adopted Budget Document (one PDF file)(PDF, 26MB)

Introduction

• Title page - City Council(PDF, 2MB)
• GFOA Distinguished Budget Award(PDF, 136KB)
• City of Santa Cruz Organization Chart(PDF, 402KB)
• Administrative Staff and Board, Commission and Committee Chairpersons(PDF, 63KB)
• Guide to the Document(PDF, 78KB)

City Overview

• City Overview(PDF, 692KB)

Budget Discussion

• City Manager's Budget Message(PDF, 424KB)
• General Fund Financial Outlook(PDF, 114KB)
• Primary General Fund Budget and General Revenues(PDF, 156KB)
• Citywide Guiding Framework, including:(PDF, 479KB)
  • Citywide Strategic Plan
  • Climate Action Plan
  • Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
  • Health in All Policies
• Budget in Brief(PDF, 1MB)

Financial Summaries

• Fund Balance Projection(PDF, 64KB)
• Explanation of Change in Fund Balance(PDF, 54KB)
• Audited Net Position of Enterprise Funds, including:(PDF, 413KB)
  • Differences Between ACFR and Budget Actuals
• Summary of Projected Revenues and Other Financing Sources(PDF, 39KB)
• Summary of Projected Expenditures and Other Financing Uses(PDF, 39KB)
• Revenues and Other Financing Sources – Primary General Fund(PDF, 19KB)
• Operating Expenditures by Department – Primary General Fund(PDF, 26KB)
• Summary of Transfers(PDF, 37KB)

Personnel

• Personnel Profile – Overview of Changes(PDF, 122KB)
• Personnel Authorization(PDF, 114KB)

Department Summaries

• Guide to the Department Summaries(PDF, 193KB)
• City Attorney(PDF, 2MB)
• City Council(PDF, 2MB)
• City Manager(PDF, 3MB)
• Homelessness Response Team(PDF, 2MB)
• Economic Development and Housing(PDF, 5MB)
• Finance(PDF, 1MB)
• Fire(PDF, 1MB)
• Human Resources(PDF, 4MB)
• Information Technology(PDF, 4MB)
• Library(PDF, 4MB)
• Parks and Recreation(PDF, 7MB)
• Planning and Community Development(PDF, 5MB)
• Police(PDF, 4MB)
• Public Works - City/General Funds(PDF, 3MB)
• Public Works - Enterprise Funds(PDF, 917KB)
• Water(PDF, 2MB)

Capital Outlay

• Capital Outlay(PDF, 104KB)

Financial Policies

• Overview of Financial and Budgetary Policies(PDF, 743KB)

Capital Investment Program (CIP)

• Guide to the CIP(PDF, 506KB)
• Projects that Support the Climate Action Plan and Climate Adaption Plan(PDF, 516KB)
• General Fund CIP Priority Criteria(PDF, 287KB)
• Unfunded and Underfunded CIP List(PDF, 272KB)
• Project Maps of Existing Projects(PDF, 2MB)

Projects Summarized by Department/Fund and FY 2026 Fact Sheets

• Economic Development and Housing CIP(PDF, 361KB)
• Fire CIP(PDF, 364KB)
• Information Technology CIP(PDF, 281KB)
• Parks and Recreation CIP(PDF, 516KB)
• Public Works CIP(PDF, 2MB)
• Water CIP(PDF, 477KB)

Appendices

• Budget Adoption Resolution(PDF, 16MB)
• Proposition 4 Appropriations Limit (Gann) Resolution(PDF, 46KB)
• Debt Service and Pension Obligations(PDF, 946KB)
• Legal Debt Limit(PDF, 35KB)
• Acronyms(PDF, 49KB)
• Glossary(PDF, 375KB)