OCEANSIDE — City officials are weighing a range of community improvements, public safety enhancements, and support for local arts and media groups as part of Oceanside’s proposed 2025-26 fiscal year budget, which includes a projected $3.28 million surplus.
During a budget workshop on April 30, Financial Services Director Jill Moya presented a balanced general fund proposal and outlined a series of possible ongoing and one-time expenditures that, if approved, would largely use up the surplus. Funding sources may include the general fund, Measure X revenue and other city resources.
Proposed ongoing expenses include hiring a new fire battalion chief, enhancing support for the city’s coastal zone administrator and homeless services manager, funding implementation of the city’s Climate Action Plan, creating a city arborist position, hiring a resource specialist at the Crown Heights Community Resource Center, and launching citywide rebranding efforts.
One-time costs under consideration include mending the iconic Oceanside sign in the Harbor, vehicles for code enforcement and fire personnel, new fast-charging stations for police electric vehicles, upgrades to the Oceanside Navigation Center, repairs at city pools, and funding for a new drone-as-first-responder pilot program and real-time crime center.
Several residents also voiced requests for specific community improvements. Dwayne Carter asked the city to install lighting at all four of Oceanside’s skateparks to allow for safer access during evening hours, particularly in fall and winter.
“I’m speaking on behalf of all the skaters in Oceanside here asking for lights at our skateparks,” Carter said. “It’s common sense to me… I think it’s necessary, being that we have the most skateparks in all of North County.”
Carter said neighboring cities like Vista and Carlsbad already have lit skateparks, which currently draw Oceanside skaters away.
Support for the arts was also raised during the workshop. Leann Garms, vice president and community relations liaison for the Oceanside Theatre Company, requested city funding to support planned renovations at the Sunshine Brooks Theater downtown.
“We’re shovel ready,” Garms said.
KOCT Executive Director Carly Starr asked the city for an additional $250,000 — or 1% of franchise fee revenues — to help offset declining federal funding for the nonprofit community television station.
“We’ve been here for 45 years, and we plan to continue to inform our public with transparency,” Starr said.
Starr noted that KOCT’s annual PEG funding has declined from $468,000 in 2018 to about $270,000 in the current fiscal year. In addition to providing 24/7 public access programming and live coverage of city meetings, KOCT also offers youth mentorship and workforce development programs.
Deputy Mayor Eric Joyce proposed partnering with Oceanside Unified School District to install new soccer nets on school fields, now that the city and district have updated their shared-use agreement.
Joyce also suggested hiring all three planned fire battalion chiefs sooner rather than phasing them in over three years and called for increased support for the Junior Lifeguard program.
One capital project already listed in the budget includes $614,000 for upgrades to the Junior Lifeguard headquarters and response office.
Councilmember Jimmy Figueroa asked for Measure X funding to launch an afterschool program at John Landes Community Center as a gang diversion effort, noting growing gang activity in the Tri-City neighborhood.
“We now have three documented gangs in that neighborhood and two or three other groups forming,” Figueroa said.
Councilmember Peter Weiss requested a detailed memo listing the proposed projects and their potential costs by May 21 ahead of the council’s next budget session. Weiss also rebuffed public comments criticizing the city’s beach restoration funding, noting that shoreline preservation remains a budget priority.
“This council has made sand a priority,” Weiss said.
Assistant City Manager Michael Gossman added that the city has earmarked $500,000 annually in Measure X funds for shoreline restoration, with a 10% increase each year.
“That’s a pretty healthy escalator, but $500,000 gets us started,” Gossman said.
The finalized budget is expected to return to the City Council for approval in June.
