COVID-19 prompts Fresno mayor to make unusual budget request, first of its kind in decades
Fresno Mayor Lee Brand said Wednesday he wants to roll this year’s budget into the 2020-21 fiscal year until officials have a better idea on the economic effects of the coronavirus.
Called a “continuing resolution” budget, the proposal continues the $1.2 billion budget from this fiscal year into the first quarter of the next. It’s the city’s first resolution of that kind in 23 years under the strong mayor system.
The plan would need to be approved by the City Council by the end of June.
Brand said the idea is to continue to provide essential services to residents while officials iron out exactly how much of a punch the city’s coffers will take from shuttered businesses and sheltered citizens.
“The decision to propose a continuing resolution was not an easy one and was taken with a great deal of thought and consideration with the overriding concern to minimize the impacts of this crisis on the critical services the city provides to our residents and our employees,” Brand said in a statement.
Brand’s administration said in April the city is looking at a dip of about $40 million in revenue with the caveat that the financial hit may eventually be much worse from the coronavirus pandemic. His team has said they are not planning layoffs or furloughs immediately, but those cuts remain on the table.
The continuing budget would be revisited in fall 2020 when the economic picture is much clearer, according to Brand’s announcement. The fall would be the first time the city should look at pulling money from its $35 million reserve, Brand said.
Councilmember Miguel Arias, who is serving as council president, said he’s confident the council and mayor will work out a plan.
“We received the request and are in consultation with the mayor to develop a budget process that provides public transparency and outlines immediate cost controls prior to budget adoption,” he said.
This story was originally published May 27, 2020 at 11:47 AM.
