ENCINITAS — The Encinitas City Council approved a balanced budget for fiscal year 2026-27 that adds four new city positions — including an urban forester and lifeguard sergeant — while maintaining a projected General Fund surplus and reserve levels.
Deputy Mayor Jim O’Hara said, “It’s a pretty easy matter” to approve the final budget because it had been discussed in such depth before its formal approval at the June 17 meeting.
The overall operating budget draws on $158.5 million in revenue to fund $149.2 million in expenditures, according to city records. Debt service accounts for $5.5 million, while capital and work projects account for another $15.8 million.
Since the plan was introduced at the May 20 meeting, it has been adjusted ahead of final approval to add $33,000 to the General Fund operating budget to support economic development services, at the City Council’s direction.
The budget passed unanimously at the June 17 meeting.
The General Fund budgets $113.1 million in expenditures and services against $121.7 million in revenue, according to city documents. The plan includes a $2.4 million stabilization reserve and a $22.6 million contingency reserve.
Overall, the city anticipates the General Fund will have an unassigned ending balance of $744,400 by the end of the fiscal year.
The plan includes funding for four full-time city positions: a code enforcement officer, a facilities maintenance specialist, an urban forester and a lifeguard sergeant.
According to city staff, the new positions are intended to reduce the city’s reliance on outside contractors and bring additional services in-house. Most of the costs associated with the positions will be offset through redistributed contract funding and existing seasonal staffing funds.
The urban forester will oversee the city’s urban forestry program, including tree inspections, management of tree-related work orders, oversight of the city’s tree-trimming contractor and review of development plans for potential conflicts with existing trees. The city expects to end its private landscaping contract as part of the transition.
The lifeguard sergeant position converts an existing seasonal supervisory role into a permanent position responsible for beach safety, code enforcement and emergency medical technician duties. The code enforcement officer will investigate violations and ensure compliance with local and state regulations, while the facilities maintenance specialist will help maintain city buildings and infrastructure through inspections, repairs and coordination with contractors.
Mayor Bruce Ehlers said that, between the city’s goal-setting sessions and previous budget discussions, he was pleased with how the budget addressed the city’s priorities.
“I think the maturity of this budget is reflected in the fact that it’s been pretty minimal changes as we headed down the final glide path here to tonight,” Ehlers said.
Christopher Bacon contributed reporting for this article.
