Last year, the City of Pittsburg, California, unveiled its government spending plans for 2023. From infrastructure to education, the city’s departments have received varying amounts of funding, with some seeing an increase to their budgets and others experiencing cuts. In this post, we take a closer look at which departments were allocated the most and which ones had to make do with less. By the end, you will have a better understanding of where the city’s money is going and what changes to expect in the coming year.

“Revenues for all City funds are projected to be $239.3 million for FY 2022-23, 23.9 percent of which comprises the General Fund. The City’s total expenditures are projected to be $243.8 million, of which 23.6 percent is the General Fund, the City’s main source of discretionary spending,” said Garret Evans, City Manager of Pittsburg. 

With a budget of nearly $240 million dollars, the city boosted funding for certain departments while reducing it for others, based on its projected government spending plans for 2023. Now, let’s take a closer look at which sectors enjoyed the greatest financial gains, and which ones will have to make do with reduced funding.

The City Council received a 14.64% increase in funding, with a total budget of $133,282 dollars. Despite receiving the highest increase in budget, this sector still has the lowest overall funding, with its budget not even reaching the $200,000 dollar mark.

The Public Works Maintenance Services Department also saw a substantial gain, with an increase of 12.71% to its funding and a total budget of $17,852,758 dollars. This particular sector ranks among the top three in terms of budget allocation in the city, as it has the responsibility of maintaining all of the City’s streets, storm drains, parks and landscaping, as well as its publicly-owned buildings.

The Recreation Department’s funding also rose by 10.81%, bringing its total budget to $3,208,318 dollars. The Recreation Department has been allocated the second smallest budget among the departments and/or sectors mentioned here, despite receiving a 10.81% increase for this year.

The Housing Authority received an 8.01% increase in funding, with a total budget of $23,822,186 dollars. The Housing Authority is among the sectors with the strongest budgets, despite receiving a relatively modest 8.01% increase. This is understandable, given that the Housing Authority “provides rental subsidies to low-income households to the extent of the maximum budget authority received from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and awarded through an Annual Contributions Contract."

While the Police Department received a smaller increase of 1.58%, it still saw an uptick in its budget, with a total of $37,362,338 dollars. However, it is important to remember that the Police Department retains the position of having the largest budget, accounting for a staggering 60.62% of the city’s total budget. While one may question why a small city would allocate such a significant portion of its budget to its local police force, this decision may reflect the city’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of its residents, and to maintaining a safe and peaceful community.

As previously mentioned, not all departments experienced an increase in funding. In the following section, we examine the sectors that experienced a decrease in their budget allocation.

To begin with, the Community Development Department has been dealt a major blow, experiencing a sharp decline of 61.50% in its budget compared to the figures for the 2021-22 fiscal year. Consequently, it received a budget of $14,606,526 dollars, which marks a significant decrease of $23,327,770 dollars.

Moving on to the Economic Development and Community Services Department, we see that its total budget has been slashed by 27.14%, leaving it with a budget of $8,989,198 dollars. Similarly, the Public Works Water and Sewer Enterprises Department has experienced a budget decrease of 22.39%, resulting in a 2022-23 budget of $36,729,053 dollars. Despite experiencing one of the most substantial budget cuts, the Public Works Water and Sewer Enterprises Department still ranks as the second largest department in terms of budget allocation, trailing only the Police Department.

To briefly touch on the other areas and sectors that have experienced budget reductions, these include: Debt Services, with a budget of $6,929,334 dollars (-13.62%); Enterprise Services, with a budget of $8,989,198 dollars (-8.37%); Successor Agency to Former RDA, with a budget of $62,954,384 dollars (-6.44%); Pittsburg Power Company, with a budget of $11,218,674 dollars (-4.23%); and the General Administration, with a budget of $19,427,321 dollars (-0.31%).

To summarize, the three departments that received the highest budget increases are the City Council, the Public Works Maintenance Services Department, and the Recreation Department, while the three departments that experienced the greatest budget cuts are the Community Development Department, the Economic Development and Community Services Department, and the Public Works Water and Sewer Enterprises Department.

However, it is important to note that the departments with the greatest budget increases may not necessarily have the largest budgets overall. For example, while the City Council saw the largest increase in budget, it also has the smallest overall budget. Similarly, although the Public Works Water and Sewer Enterprises Department had a significant budget reduction, it remains the second largest department in terms of budget allocation.

We will definitely keep a close eye on the budget of the City of Pittsburg in order to gain insight into the government’s objectives. If you are interested in learning more about the economic forecasts of the Pittsburg administration, please let us know!

This blog was written by Gisela Montes, GovTech Community Lead at Glass.