TEHACHAPI, Calif. — The Tehachapi City Council approved a balanced $21.4 million budget for fiscal year 2020-21.
The approved budget addressed subsequent balanced years through 2024-25. The budget includes all operating funds within the City including the General Fund, enterprise funds such as Water, Sewer, Airport, Transit and Refuse and capital project funds.
#Tehachapi budget approved by city council. Greg Garrett shares the details. pic.twitter.com/WW13EYEfRz
— City of Tehachapi (@CityofTehachapi) May 20, 2020
City Manager Greg Garrett and the City’s finance department said they have been working on the budget presentation and the accounting for the coming fiscal year while the coronavirus crisis forced change in the day to day operations of the city and expected revenues.
“It’s so wonderful to be the mayor of a city that every year presents a balanced budget. In this time of turmoil in the state with everything going on, the state has a terrible deficit, we are in the black and it looks like it will remain that way for the next five-year projection,” said Mayor Susan Wiggins.
Additionally, the City’s General Fund has $5.8 million reserve, in addition to $1.2 million set aside for the declared emergency situation to be used for unforeseen needs and capital projects in the coming years.
A city-wide hiring freeze has been put due to the covid-19 crisis.
The police department will fill one of its two officer vacancies in the upcoming year.
With the enterprise funds of Water and Sewer providing a valuable service to customers, those departments also have healthy reserves to allow for emergency repairs and future expansions.