Santa Barbara City Council had spent the past several weeks working out budget details, so Tuesday’s adoption of the budget was assumed to be a mere formality. Updated projections that the city would be in a $1.6 million deficit, however, raised last-minute concerns, though the council ultimately approved the budget in a 4-3 split vote.
The major point of contention throughout the budget planning process had been the request to allocate $5 million per year toward the city’s affordable housing trust fund. On June 10, the council voted 6-1 to allocate an extra $2 million from the city’s reserves to meet the target in 2026, and voted 4-3 for a second allocation of $2 million in 2027.
Mayor Randy Rowse and Councilmembers Eric Friedman and Mike Jordan all had reservations about dipping into the reserve fund. Cuts to the federal and state budgets could leave the city in a tight spot, they argued, and with two bargaining units set to begin labor negotiations next year, the city may need financial wiggle room…