City Council given update on city budget, road improvements

By Doug Spoon, Editor

Menifee City Council members got their last opportunity to view and provide feedback on the City’s operating budget for the next two years – as well as a separate Capital Improvement Program budget – before the budget is presented for adoption on June 4.

The City now annually sets budgets for the next two fiscal years. For 2025-26, the operating budget is $129.1 million and the CIP budget is $13.2 million. For 2026-27, the operating budget is $132.4 million and the CIP budget is $14.3 million.

According to the budget document, the Qualify of Life (Measure DD) fund will contribute $21.8 million to the operating budget in 2025-26 and $22.4 million in 2026-27. That fund will also contribute $1.2 million to the CIP budget in 2025-26 and $125,000 to the CIP budget in 2026-27. The larger amount goes to the operating budget because it includes public safety (police and fire).

The budget allows for the City to retain 40 percent of the general fund in reserve. Additional savings have been set aside to fund the Community Center next to the Menifee Library ($3.9 million) and improvements to the McCall Boulevard / 215 Freeway Interchange ($1.2 million).

Proposed revenue for the general fund portion of the budget is estimated at $78 million for the next fiscal year. Of that amount, $47.1 million goes toward personnel expenses. Of the operating budget expenses, 56 percent goes toward public safety.

Public Works Director Nick Fidler presented the CIP budget. Road and other infrastructure improvements is always of special interest to residents, so those figures were given special attention. A video of this meeting with detailed slides on the various topics can be viewed here.

Of the $13.2 in the CIP budget for the next year, $2.3 million will go toward street improvements and another $3.3 to the pavement management program. Fidler said his department is nearing completion of an evaluation of all streets in the City and will have a report for the council on June 16, ranking all streets from top to bottom in terms of pavement needs.

“We know the pavement management program is underfunded,” Fidler said. “We’re looking at where we can reprogram money for resurfacing or rehabilitation.

“We would need about $6 million to properly maintain the pavement of our roads. It is challenging. We have to heavily coordinate things with so much development occurring.”

Council member Dean Deines, who retired from a career in finance, praised the work of City staff in crafting the balanced budget.

“I fully support this,” he said. “I know we’re coming up on some rough weather in terms of the economy. It’s a challenge to complete a balanced budget.”

“I’m pleased you were able to maintain the reserves,” said council member Dan Temple. “You did an excellent job in not considering cuts to city services.”