Meeting Overview

The Berkeley City Council held a special meeting on June 23, 2026, focused almost entirely on adopting the city’s two-year budget for fiscal years 2027 and 2028, the five-year capital improvement plan (CIP), and the fiscal year 2027 annual appropriations ordinance.

Staff presented a short update since the prior budget meeting, saying the new changes mainly added pass-through business improvement district funds and updates for civic arts, public arts, and first source workforce funds. Staff said there were no changes to the General Fund since the June 16 meeting.

Much of the public comment focused on three issues: whether to preserve nine Fire Department positions, whether to keep funding for the Small Sites affordable housing preservation program, and whether to fund planning and design work for a car-free Telegraph Avenue. Speakers also raised concerns about arts funding, violence prevention funding, and support for the Solano Stroll.

Main Agenda Items

The main debate centered on amendments to the proposed budget. Councilmember Kesarwani, joined by Councilmembers Taplin and Blackaby, proposed using General Fund-related revenues to preserve nine Fire Department positions: five firefighters, three paramedics, and one fire inspector. She also proposed district office funding for Euclid Street garbage corral design and changes to how affordable housing money would be used, arguing more funds should go toward new affordable housing construction rather than entirely to the Small Sites program.

The mayor presented a separate package that included funding for downtown revitalization, car-free Telegraph design, Sacred Rest Village of Love, a community development coordinator position, Live Free’s gun violence intervention work, Solano Stroll support, and Small Sites housing funding. The mayor later amended her proposal to also include the nine Fire Department positions, funded instead through increased ambulance transport revenue rather than taking money from the City Clerk’s office.

There was also discussion of the CIP. Four transportation-related projects previously tied to Measure FF street tax funds were moved to “unfunded and pending further review” so staff and the Safe Streets Oversight Committee could confirm whether those uses are eligible.

A substitute motion from Councilmember Kesarwani would have kept $2.5 million for Small Sites while leaving $1.3 million in the Housing Trust Fund for other affordable housing uses. That substitute failed.

Decisions Made

• Adopted: The council approved the revised budget package, including the city manager’s supplemental material and the mayor’s amended proposal, on a 8-0-1 vote.

  • Yes: Kesarwani, Taplin, Bartlett, Tregub, O’Keefe, Blackaby, Lunaparra, Humbert, Mayor Ishii
    
  • The transcript first records the failed substitute motion, then the main motion passing unanimously among those voting, with no dissent stated.

• Failed substitute motion: Councilmember Kesarwani’s substitute motion to retain $2.5 million for Small Sites while leaving $1.3 million in the Housing Trust Fund failed 2-6-1.

  • Yes: Kesarwani, Blackaby
    
  • No: Bartlett, Tregub, O’Keefe, Lunaparra, Mayor Ishii, and one additional no vote recorded in the roll
    
  • Abstain: Humbert

• Adopted: The council approved the fiscal year 2027 annual appropriations ordinance, as revised to reflect the budget actions taken, by unanimous vote.

• Referred/Pending review: Four CIP transportation projects were moved to unfunded and pending further review for Measure FF eligibility.