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With some anticipated surplus funding expected to be available, the City of San Juan Capistrano aims to remain on track with an extensive and multi-year plan to spruce up the town’s streets after decades of neglected maintenance.
The City Council will hear a presentation from city staff on how the city’s finances are shaping up for the upcoming 2023-24 fiscal year during a meeting on Tuesday. Staff is looking to invest a $7.2 million surplus into the upcoming phase of the street repaving project, along with $6 million already set aside for the work.
“The Seven Year Capital Improvement Program (Program) approved by the City Council on June 7, 2022, included an unprecedented investment in the City’s roadway network, anticipated to bring the citywide Pavement Condition Index (PCI) from a rating of ‘fair’ to ‘good’ over the next few years,” the city said in its agenda report.
Neighborhood streets in city Districts 2, 4, and 5 are scheduled to be repaved starting this summer, according to plans presented by city staff last year.
The agenda report also said 36% of overall fund expenditures will go towards law enforcement services with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, at a proposed cost of $12.8 million.
An expected “significant increase” in those services was factored into the budget because of ongoing negotiations between OCSD management and employee associations.
Revenue for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1, is projected to reach $39 million, a 1% decrease from the current fiscal year’s amount because of a reduced amount of development revenue and property sales.
However, sales tax revenue increased by 6% compared to last year.
“For Fiscal Year 2023-24, a total of $42.7 million of General Fund budgeted expenditures is proposed, comprised of $35.5 million for proposed budgeted operating expenditures and $7.2 million for proposed budgeted capital expenditures,” according to the report. “Proposed budgeted General Fund operating expenditures for Fiscal Year 2023-24 are projected to increase 3% over the amount budgeted for the prior fiscal year.”
The budget being presented Tuesday is a draft, and councilmembers can suggest revisions. The final budget is expected to come back before the City Council for approval on June 6.
Members of the public can attend Tuesday’s meeting in person at the Nydegger Building at 31421 La Matanza Street or watch a live-streamed video online at sanjuancapistrano.org. The meeting is scheduled to start at 5 p.m.
