Ventura City Council to resume budget talks

Ventura's policymakers will continue a discussion on where and how to spend money going into the new fiscal year.

Monday's discussion will include a detailed look at water and public works as city officials wrap up the 2019-20 budget.

On May 13, the heads of community development, the city manager's office, police and fire explained their missions, changes and requests to their upcoming budgets. The City Council continued the conversation to Monday as it neared 11 p.m.

More:Ventura City Council gets a department-by-department look at city priorities

After the presentations Monday, the council will weigh in on the budget as well as how Measure O money should best be spent. The half-cent sales tax, which voters approved in 2016, is a general fund tax, so it can be spent on essentially anything.

Policymakers are looking to designate a big chunk of that money to fire and police, as well as more than $1 million to medians and sidewalk improvements. 

Next year's budget looks stable but, driven by soaring pension cuts, will become a challenge as revenues begin to outpace expenditures, finance officials have said. It's a story not unique to Ventura. 

The crowding-out effects of pension costs are currently playing out in jurisdictions including Oxnard, as the city faces a $9 million shortfall. 

More:Libraries, response times, landscaping — proposed budget cuts would affect all of Oxnard

Oxnard's unfunded liabilities — that's money due for work already done — will grow by 40 percent in the next five years, according to the California Public Employees' Retirement System actuarial reports.

That doesn't include a supplemental pension enhancement given to non-public safety managed by a private system. According to the 2015-16 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the most recent available online, that account today was 61 percent funded, or $34 million short of what it owes.

Ventura's unfunded liabilities will grow even faster — 48 percent, according to CalPERS actuarial reports. The city does not offer the supplemental enhancement nor does it offer post-retirement health care, as Oxnard and many other cities do. 

 Monday's meeting starts at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 501 Poli St. See the proposed budget at https://tinyurl.com/y4fqclwr. The new budget year begins July 1.

Arlene Martinez covers local government and energy. Reach her at 805-437-0262 or amartinez@vcstar.com.