Rialto Council Approves 2026-27 Budget, Issues Conditions for Internal Staffing 

The Rialto City Council approved the city’s fiscal year 2026-27 budget on June 23, adopting a spending plan that projects a General Fund surplus while directing staff to reduce the city’s reliance on contract services. 

Although the city’s finances remain strong, growing frustration over staffing prompted the council to freeze half of the contract services budget until December while staff works to recruit full-time city employees.

The adopted budget projects a roughly $2.8 million General Fund surplus and an estimated $75.3 million unrestricted General Fund balance, according to staff reports and presentations. The projected $175.86 million in General Fund revenue for fiscal year 2026-27 represents about a 6.5% increase over the revised 2025-26 budget. 

Finance Director Scott Williams told the council the proposed budget was built around “reasonable estimates of revenues and expenses,” and that the city is “in a good place” because of the council’s “intentional decisions” to strengthen the city’s economic base and maintain budget discipline. He noted that the city’s strongest revenue sources remain property, sales and utility users tax, which together account for more than three-quarters of the General Fund’s revenue. 

Following Williams’ presentation, Mayor Pro Tem Ed Scott questioned continued spending on contract services in the Public Works and development-related services. 

“This council and the former council has given very clear direction that we want to slow down contract services and hire employees to replace individuals who are contract employees,” Scott said. “That clearly is not happening.”

Scott proposed limiting contract service budgets to 50% of their approved amounts until staff returns in December with a report detailing recruitment efforts to fill those positions with city employees. 

Williams said that was “certainly feasible.”

Mayor Joe Baca Sr. told Inland Empire Community News (IECN) that he supports expanding the city’s permanent workforce where long-term staffing needs exist, but said contract employees remain necessary for temporary or specialized projects. 

“Sometimes you need contract employees for short-range projects that need to be done,” Baca said. 

Councilmembers Andy Carrizales and Edward Montoya Jr. echoed Scott’s reservations over contract workers. Even so, Carrizales, building off Scott’s praise and appreciation for staff after heated budget discussions, thanked finance personnel for distilling a lengthy budget document into an accessible briefing. 

“Thanks for the presentation,” Carrizales said. “Very well put together with all the essentials — I know these things can be as thick as a binder.”

Carrizales voiced support for the proposed staffing requests in parks and recreation, public works, police and fire, including additional fire personnel and future plans for a fire training tower. 

The council ultimately approved the budget with Scott’s proposed amendments, including converting a part-time police department custodian into a full-time position and requiring Public Works and development-related service staff to return in December with an update on hiring efforts before accessing the remaining contract service funds. 

Later in the meeting, the council unanimously approved an amendment to the 2025-26 budget by allocating $1,160,417 to repair the fire station headquarters at 131 S. Willow Avenue following a May 2024 car crash that damaged the building’s interior. 

The council awarded a construction contract to R Dependable Construction Inc. for the restoration of the station’s living and kitchen areas, repair of the fire sprinkler system and related interior improvements. The city’s insurance carrier has confirmed about $905,000 in undisputed reimbursement toward the repair work while discussions continue over additional recoverable costs.