City of Berkeley · General Fund

Berkeley's city budget deficit

Why the City's main budget comes up short, and what the November 3 ballot means.

Sources

Berkeley from the hills. Photo by Janet Ganbold on Unsplash

Berkeley's main budget comes up about $30 million short every year. One-time money and savings covered it for years, and most of the savings are spent. The FY2027-28 budget closes it by eliminating 150 jobs and counting on Measure V.

The gap, every year
$30M
About 9% of the City's $314M main budget, the General Fund. It has come back every year since at least 2019 ($29.2M in FY2027, $29.5M in FY2028).
Savings spent covering it
$55M
General Fund available cash fell from $85M in June 2023 to $31M in June 2025, apart from its emergency reserves. What's left would cover one year, once.
Jobs eliminated to close it
150
45 left unfunded in FY2026 plus 105 cut in FY2027-28; 130 of the 150 were already empty. If Measure V fails, 33 more go.

Summary

  1. About $30M short every year. Every budget since FY2019 has started $10M to $40M short. Until FY2027 the City covered it mostly with one-time money, and its available cash fell from $85M to $31M.
  2. Why: costs grow faster than flexible revenue. Pay and benefits are two-thirds of the General Fund and keep rising; two-thirds of the pension bill is old debt. Sales tax is flat since 2017, transfer taxes fell by half after FY2022, and most newer taxes can only pay for specific programs.
  3. Where Berkeley differs from nearby cities. It spends about $1,000 more per resident, mostly on its own health department, ambulances, and housing and homelessness. General government costs $419 per resident against a median of $255. Police and fire are about half the General Fund.
  4. FY2027-28 are balanced with about $20M a year of lasting cuts (150 jobs, 130 of them already empty) and Measure V, a half-cent sales tax on the November 3 ballot. If V fails, the City has named $9.7M of cuts, including Fire Station 4 and 15 police officers.
  5. The gap comes back after 2028 unless total costs grow no faster than revenue, about 2.4% a year; at 5%, a $12M gap is back by FY2030. The lasting options are handing services most cities don't run to the County, slower pay growth (1 point saves $2.1M, then $8.6M a year), and budget rules such as a 10-year plan.
How to read this page
  • General Fund means the City's main budget, about $314M, and its most flexible money: it can pay for any City service. The rest of the $918M total is set aside for specific uses, like sewer fees, library taxes, grants and bonds.
  • Fiscal years run July to June. FY2027 means July 2026 through June 2027.
  • Actual vs budget. Budgets pay for every funded job at full cost. Actual spending is lower because 10% to 12% of jobs are empty. So compare actual with actual, and budget with budget.
  • Per-resident comparisons use State Controller data, which all California cities report the same way. Cities still book some services differently, so totals compare better than single categories. The data includes money set aside for specific uses, so it doesn't show the General Fund gap.
  • Hover over a chart for details, or press "Show table" to see the numbers.

1. Deficit history

Every budget since at least FY2019 started $10M to $40M short. Until FY2027 the City closed it mostly with short-term fixes, so it came back.

How each gap was closed, FY2023 to FY2028

Each bar is one year's gap, split by how it was closed. Lasting cuts barely appear until FY2027. In FY2026 about a third of the fix lasted, mostly revenue changes.

Notes and sourcesBefore FY2023 the gaps were $10M (FY2019), $40M (FY2020-21) and $27M (FY2022), closed with transfers, a hiring freeze and federal aid (May 2026 budget presentation). From the City's budget adoption reports (June 2022, June 2024, June 2026), the January 2026 budget update and the City Auditor. FY2023 counts the leftover home-sales tax net of federal aid saved for FY2024. FY2025's vacancy figure is what's left after the itemized actions. The documents are listed under Sources below.

General Fund revenue and spending, FY2022 to FY2028

Spending ran $47M (FY2024) and $32M (FY2025) above regular revenue. Cash fell about $55M, because about $23M of one-time transfers came in from other City accounts.

Notes and sourcesHollow points: FY2022 and FY2023 spending comes from an older budget book that counts some items differently. Those numbers may be up to $20M too low, so part of the jump into FY2024 is bookkeeping. FY2024 revenue is the City's year-end estimate. The City doesn't publish General Fund actuals before FY2022 in a form that matches.

Is the City managing it carefully?

Facts from the City Auditor and the budget, not a grade. Short-term fixes and savings carried the budget for years. The General Fund also pays $2.7M a year to parking funds and the 1947 Center St building, which should pay for themselves. Reserves and retiree health debt are the bright spots.

Warning signs 3 measures

Gap closed with one-time money, FY2026
66%FY2027 plan: 37%
Mostly one-time
Years the pension savings trust got its full deposit$9M withdrawn to fill gaps: $3M in FY2025 and $6M in FY2026.
2 yearsGoal: 7 years
5 years missed
Repair backlog: streets, buildings, storm drains
$1.8BFY2017: $604M
Tripled

In good shape 2 measures

General Fund reserves, FY2025Emergency reserves, kept apart from the $31M of available cash.
21.3%Goal range: 20-30%
In range
Retiree health debtBoth in 2025 dollars.
$43MFY2016: $147M
Down 70%

Top bar: Berkeley. Bottom bar: the goal or an earlier year. Bars start at zero.

Notes and sourcesOne-time share: the part of each year's gap closed with one-time money (see the chart above). The pension savings trust (a Section 115 trust) held $29.5M in June 2025. Reserves are the General Fund stability and catastrophic reserves as a share of revenue; the City's goal is 20-30% within 10 years, and the FY2027 budget uses $4.2M of the operating reserve. The repair backlog is the City Auditor's estimate of unfunded capital needs and deferred maintenance (FY2024); the $300M Measure U bond would pay for part of it. Sources: City Auditor, Berkeley's Financial Condition FY2016-FY2025 (Apr 2026); FY2027-28 budget documents.

2. Costs

Pay, pensions and health care are two-thirds of the General Fund.

Salaries and benefits: actual spending vs budget

Actual pay and benefits grew 8.3% in one year. The FY2026 budget jump comes from funding every job at full cost, plus raises and higher pension and health costs.

Notes and sourcesBudgets pay for every funded job at full cost. Actual spending is lower because 10% to 12% of jobs are empty. FY2026 actual results aren't out yet.

General Fund pension cost

Two-thirds of the pension bill is old debt, set by CalPERS.

Notes and sourcesFY2025 and FY2026 are adopted budgets. FY2027 and FY2028 are January 2026 estimates, before cuts.

Spending by department group

Police and Fire are about half the General Fund.

Notes and sourcesFY2022 and FY2023 come from the older budget book, so treat their figures as approximate. Non-departmental means transfers to capital projects and reserves, insurance, debt payments, and Measure U1 money passed through to housing.

Why general government spending grew 57%

General government is the offices that run the City, from the City Manager and Finance to the Council and Auditor. Spending rose from $34.0M to $53.2M, FY2022 to FY2025, mostly from about 35 added positions and one-time spending in FY2025, not raises. The growth was typical for nearby cities; the level was not: $419 per resident against a median of $255.

From $34.0M to $53.2M, step by step

Change by office, FY2022 to FY2025

Spending per resident compared with nearby cities, FY2025

Dashed line: median of the other nine cities.

Growth compared with nearby cities, FY2022 to FY2025

Dashed line: median of the other seven cities. Berkeley's bar is from its own books, all funds, not counting IT, so it differs from the 57% above.

Notes and sourcesThe step sizes are estimates and the parts overlap; for example, the new council aide pay range also covers two new aides. Normal cost growth: pay schedules for most City staff rose 3%, 1% and 6% (10.3% in all), Bay Area prices rose 10.3%, CalPERS pension debt payments rose 26% for non-safety staff, and citywide pension and health costs rose 23% and 20% in FY2025 alone. Added positions: budgeted positions, filled or empty, all funds. One-time: FY2025 spending on things other than staff was $16.8M against a four-year median of $10.9M; the Clerk alone was about $1.5M above normal because of the election. These offices' spending outside the General Fund barely changed ($13.6M to $15.1M, not counting IT), so the growth is not costs moving onto the General Fund from other funds. In FY2022, $2.4M of City Manager costs were paid from federal pandemic relief (ARPA). The FY2026 budget for these offices is $55.9M. Comparison with nearby cities: State Controller, general government spending in all governmental funds. Cities book overhead differently: some charge costs like HR and IT out to other departments, others keep them in general government, so gaps of a few hundred dollars per resident are partly bookkeeping. Growth uses only cities whose figures were reported the same way each year (Alameda, Palo Alto and San Leandro moved large amounts between categories). Berkeley's growth is from its own budget books (all funds, not counting IT), because its State Controller figures by service for years before FY2023 are a fixed split of the total, not actual spending. Sources: FY2025-26 budget book (pages 9, 13-17, 117, 191-292, 378-387); FY2027-28 Financial Summaries; Budget & Finance Committee update, Jan 22, 2026 (slide 8); FY2025 Mid-Year Report (Mar 25, 2025); City labor agreements 2021-2024; CalPERS valuations for Berkeley; Bureau of Labor Statistics. Links under Sources.

3. Revenue

Revenue has grown, but costs have grown faster. Most newer voter-approved taxes can only pay for specific programs. Two general taxes, Measures P and U1 ($18M to $20M a year), go to homelessness and housing by Council choice.

Revenue by source

Transfer taxes fell by half after FY2022. Transfers in from other City accounts, mostly one-time, swing from $29M to $4M.

Notes and sourcesFY2028 includes about $9.6M from Measure V, if it passes.

What voters already pay for

About $100M a year of City special taxes can only pay for their stated purposes. Measures P and U1 ($18M to $20M) are general taxes the Council puts toward homelessness and housing. Letters repeat across elections, so each measure shows its year.

Notes and sourcesA special tax can only pay for its stated purpose and needs two-thirds of voters (or a citizen initiative); a general tax goes to the General Fund and needs a majority. Bond repayments are a separate property tax and are not in the chart: the City's Measure O ($135M housing bond, $6.3M a year to repay), T1 ($100M infrastructure bond, $4.4M) and M ($30M streets bond), and the district's Measure G ($380M, 2020) and I ($210M, 2010). The soda tax (1¢ per ounce) is a general tax the City doesn't report on its own line. The full list is under "Show table". City amounts are FY2027 proposed-budget figures, except Measure P, shown at its FY2026 collection pace ($13.2M; the FY2027 budget assumes $11.7M); transfer-tax estimates were revised slightly at adoption. Library, parks, fire, paramedic and disability tax amounts are from the City's FY2027 special tax rate reports. In November 2024, Measure AA authorized the City to spend the paramedic, disability, Measure GG fire and parks taxes through FY2028 under the state spending limit. Berkeley Unified's bond repayments are budgeted at $67.4M in 2026-27, up from $31.9M; the budget doesn't explain the jump. School measure vote shares and some City details come from California City Finance and Ballotpedia. Sources: City of Berkeley FY2027-28 proposed budget, Financial Summaries (page 8); June 16, 2026 Council special tax rate reports; City measure pages; Berkeley Unified 2026-27 Adopted Budget (pages 16-24, 177).

4. Comparison with other cities

Most big Bay Area cities have gaps. Berkeley spends about what Oakland does per resident.

Budget gaps reported by other cities, per resident

Berkeley's gap is on the high side: below Oakland, close to Palo Alto and San Francisco. Sunnyvale has none.

Notes and sourcesGaps for FY2026 or FY2027, before each city closed them, divided by population. Cities measure their gaps a little differently, so treat small differences as noise. Oakland, Hayward, San Mateo and Richmond figures come from news reports. Totals before dividing: Oakland $115.8M (May 2025 forecast), Hayward $32.6M, Palo Alto $14.9M. Not in the chart: San Leandro $8.1M, $92 per resident (February 2026 forecast); El Cerrito about $1.7M, $66; Albany $1.15M drawn from fund balance, $56; Alameda $0.7M, $9 (mid-cycle update). Each city's source is listed under Sources below.

Spending per resident, FY2025

Berkeley spends about what Oakland does per resident. About $400 of it is the health department.

Notes and sourcesState Controller data, FY2025, all City accounts except capital projects and debt. Emeryville is left off: it has only 13,000 residents and a large business base ($5,152 per resident). Albany and El Cerrito are small, so one big expense can move their numbers a lot. Per-resident numbers ignore commuters and students.

Where Berkeley spends more than the typical city

Berkeley spends about $1,000 more per resident than the typical city here, mostly on public and mental health, housing and homelessness, and ambulances. Most of these cities don't run their own health department or ambulances.

Notes and sourcesState Controller, FY2025, operating spending per resident in all City accounts except capital projects and debt. "Typical" is the median of Oakland, Palo Alto, Richmond, Alameda, El Cerrito, San Leandro, Albany, Hayward and Sunnyvale. Much of the extra is paid by outside money: the health department's net cost to the General Fund is about $7.9M of roughly $51M; ambulance fees and the paramedic tax cover about $14M of $24M; homelessness is funded largely by Measure P (about $13M in FY2026). Together the General Fund share of these three services is roughly $25M to $30M a year. Cities book some services differently, so small differences are not meaningful.

Revenue per resident by source, FY2025

Of these ten cities, Berkeley ties Palo Alto for the most property tax per resident, collects the most in parcel and transfer taxes, and among the least in sales tax.

Notes and sourcesState Controller, FY2025, governmental funds. Revenue here and spending in the chart above are measured differently, so the gap between them is not a surplus measure. Same cities as the spending chart above; Emeryville left off. Parcel taxes and other local taxes are combined because cities report them differently (Oakland books most of its parcel taxes as other taxes). Palo Alto's charges include $12.6M that Stanford pays for fire service. Values above $1,000 sit at the right edge; see the table.

5. Police, fire and 911

How Berkeley compares on officers and crime, what the two departments cost per resident, how they perform against the City's own targets, and why costs rose. Options are in Sections 6 and 7.

Police officers, violent crime and solve rates, 2025

Berkeley has fewer officers per resident than Oakland, and clears (solves) 4 in 10 violent crimes to Oakland's 1 in 10.

Notes and sourcesCalifornia Department of Justice. Officers are full-time sworn staff employed on October 31, 2025. "Solved" means cleared by an arrest or by exceptional means, the FBI's standard. Sunnyvale's officers are public safety officers trained as both police and firefighters, so its count covers both jobs. Left off: San Francisco (2.22 per 1,000; it is a city and county), San Jose (1.09) and Emeryville (2.67; few residents, many shoppers and workers).

Police, fire and ambulance spending per resident, FY2025

Berkeley's public safety cost per resident is close to Oakland's; the difference is Berkeley's own ambulances. From FY2023 to FY2025 its police spending grew less than these cities' (5% against a median of 21%) and fire and ambulance grew more (31% against 23%), much of it the paramedic program paid by the 2020 Measure FF tax.

Notes and sourcesState Controller, FY2025, operating spending (no capital projects or debt). Police spending per sworn officer is high (about $630,000, vs $520,000 in Oakland); this is the whole department's cost divided by officers, not officer pay. In 2025 payroll, the Police Department paid $33.6M in base pay, $9.4M in overtime and $35.3M in benefits. Ambulance fees bring back about $9M of Berkeley's ambulance cost. Some cities book ambulances under fire: Palo Alto runs its own ambulances but reports $0 here. Sunnyvale splits its one public safety department between police and fire in its own way. Palo Alto's fire also covers Stanford under contract. Growth compares FY2023 and FY2025 State Controller figures; Berkeley's figures by service for earlier years in that data split each year's total by the same fixed shares, so they don't show real changes. Fire added 50 positions in FY2023 (153 to 203), mostly paramedics and EMTs for the ambulance redesign, and Measure FF spending in the department went from $3.3M (FY2022) to $10.3M (FY2025 budget). FY2025 also had about $5.4M of fire overtime, $2.1M more than budgeted. Sources: State Controller; FY2025-26 budget book (pages 173-174, 249, 381); FY2025 Mid-Year Report.

How well do they perform?

Police, dispatch and fire are where the City would cut if Measure V fails. Here is Berkeley against its own targets, and the one public 911 comparison. What the cuts would mean.

Falls short 3 measures

Fire: dispatch to first unit on scene
9:29Target: 8:30
59 sec over
Fire: drive time from station
5:43Target: 5:00
43 sec over
911 dispatchers on staff70-80% of trainees quit.
20Target: 29
9 short

Meets or beats 3 measures

Police arrival after dispatch, top-priority calls (median)Oakland: 6.8 min.
7 minTarget: 8 min
1 min under
Cardiac arrest patients leaving hospital with full brain function
19.6%Target: 10%
About double
Violent crimes cleared (solved), 2025No target published; compared with Oakland.
42%Oakland: 10%
Above Oakland

Top bar: Berkeley. Bottom bar: its own target, or Oakland for crimes solved. Bars start at zero. For times, shorter is better.

Police response time, 2021 to 2024: median minutes from call to first officer

What it shows

The most urgent calls have held at a 7-minute median since 2021. Lower-priority calls now wait about 50 minutes, up from 38. Meanwhile 911 calls rose from 12,400 to 15,300 a year, the most in seven years, and only 17 of the 911 center's 36 positions were filled in early 2025 (a wider count than the budget's 29 dispatchers).

Berkeley doesn't publish how fast it answers 911 calls. Its last public figure, from 2017, was 89% answered within 15 seconds, below the state's 95% standard. Oakland's auditor found 30% of Oakland's 911 calls waited more than a minute in 2023.

Notes and sourcesBerkeley: FY2027-28 budget performance measures (Police p.167, Fire p.124). The budget doesn't say whether fire times are medians or 90th percentiles, or which patients the cardiac survival rate covers, so it isn't compared with other cities. Oakland police arrival: median travel time for Priority 1 calls in 2024, Oakland City Auditor, 9-1-1 Emergency Response Times Audit (Oct 2025), Exhibit 38. Berkeley response times: Police Department 2024 annual report presentation (March 18, 2025), median minutes to the first unit, excluding officer-initiated calls, audible alarms and traffic stops; Priority 1: 7, 7, 7, 7; Priority 2: 15, 16, 18, 18; Priority 3: 38, 43, 51, 52; Priority 4: 38, 46, 55, 51 (2021-2024). 911 call volume and dispatcher staffing: same presentation. Oakland 911 waits: Oakland audit, Exhibit 10, from state ECaTS data for 2023. Berkeley 911 answer times through 2017: City Auditor, 911 dispatcher understaffing audit (May 2019). Dispatcher attrition: Berkeley Scanner, June 1, 2026. Three dispatcher counts appear on this page: the budget's target of 29 filled dispatcher jobs and 20 filled (FY2027-28 budget, Police p.167); 32 authorized jobs in the 911 center (May 19, 2026 staff report); and 17 of 36 filled in early 2025 (Police Department presentation, which counts more job types). All three put the center at half to two-thirds staffed. Violent crimes solved: CA DOJ.

Why police and fire costs rose

The 2023 pay contracts and higher pension debt payments explain most of the police increase and about three-fifths of fire's. The rest of fire's is 50 ambulance jobs, paid largely by the 2020 Measure FF tax, and overtime.

Police

General Fund spending, FY2025FY2026 budget: $101.3M. Budgets fund all 181 officer jobs; 27 were empty in 2024.
$88.4MFY2022: $77.9M
+13%
Cost of the 2023 pay contract, FY2025Raises of 9.3% plus incentive pay; Bay Area prices rose 10.3%.
$7.2MIncrease since FY2022: $10.5M
About 2/3
Pension debt payment
$16.4MFY2022: $12.0M
+$4.4M
Budgeted positionsOvertime from empty jobs ran high in FY2025.
302FY2022: 281
+21
Growth, FY2023 to FY2025
+5%Nearby median: +21%
Less

Fire

General Fund spending, FY2025FY2026 budget: $49.5M, back down after FY2025's overtime.
$56.0MFY2022: $43.4M
+29%
Cost of the 2023 pay contract, FY2025Raises of 9.8% plus certification pay; Bay Area prices rose 10.3%.
$5.4MIncrease since FY2022: $12.6M
About 2/5
Pension debt payment
$8.0MFY2022: $5.7M
+$2.3M
Budgeted positionsMostly paramedics and EMTs for the ambulance redesign.
203FY2022: 153
+50
Measure FF tax spending in the departmentOvertime was about $5.4M in FY2025, $2.1M over budget.
$10.3MFY2022: $3.3M
+$7.0M
Growth, FY2023 to FY2025
+31%Nearby median: +23%
More

Top bar: the department now. Bottom bar: FY2022, the department's spending increase since FY2022, or the median of nearby cities. Bars start at zero.

Notes and sourcesSpending: General Fund, FY2022 actual (FY2025-26 budget book, p.117) and FY2025 actual (FY2027-28 Financial Summaries); fire all funds $58.0M to $83.2M. Raises: police (Berkeley Police Association) and fire (Berkeley Fire Fighters Association) agreements, council staff reports July 2021, Sept 12, 2023 and Dec 5, 2023; the incentive pay is the "KIND" policing incentive for officers who earn it. Pension: CalPERS valuations for Berkeley, unfunded-liability payment FY2021-22 to FY2024-25 ($11.99M to $16.42M police, $5.69M to $7.96M fire, all funds). Positions: budgeted, all funds (FY2025-26 budget book, pp.381, 386). Overtime: FY2025 Mid-Year Report (March 25, 2025), pp.10 and 13; these are mid-year projections, not year-end results. Contract costs: the City's estimates in the council staff reports for the 2023 agreements, police $4.3M in FY2024 and $7.17M in FY2025, fire $2.68M and $5.39M; they may include some costs outside the General Fund and leave out raises from the 2021 contracts. The pension debt payments are for each whole plan, all funds. Measure FF and UC settlement: FY2025-26 budget book, p.249. Officers: Police Department 2024 annual report presentation (March 18, 2025). Nearby cities: State Controller, FY2023 to FY2025, governmental funds. Earlier years in that data split Berkeley's total by fixed shares, so they can't be compared.

6. How the gap is being closed

The City has already balanced FY2027 and FY2028 with lasting cuts plus Measure V, on the November 3 ballot, and has named the cuts if V fails. Below: how FY2027 closes, other ways to cover the gap, and what happens if V fails.

How the FY2027 budget closes its gap ($31.4M of actions)

$19.8M of lasting savings, $2.1M of one-time money, and $9.4M to hold 33 jobs (one-time money in FY2027, Measure V from FY2028). The City's published gap, $29.2M, comes after the one-time money.

Positions by departmentCut, emptyCut, filledHeld for V vote, emptyHeld for V vote, filled
Health, Housing & Community Services37800
Police180129
Public Works13200
Fire2309
City Manager4500
Parks, Recreation & Waterfront1230
Finance4000
Information Technology4000
Human Resources2000
Total85201518

Still empty after these cuts: 128 jobs, most paid from other City accounts. About 28 are General Fund jobs outside police and fire; eliminating them would save about $5M a year, close to the $5.9M cost of the 18 filled jobs on hold for Measure V. What happens to the 33 jobs on hold if V fails.

Notes and sourcesFrom the City's department budget-change tables and position lists in the May 19, 2026 staff report, adopted June 23, 2026. The City's headline count of 150 jobs is these 105 plus 45 left unfunded in the FY2026 mid-year update; 130 of the 150 were empty. "Jobs and pay" also includes some pay costs moved to other City accounts, which the City didn't total separately. FY2028 looks the same: $20.1M of lasting cuts plus $9.6M from Measure V.

Other ways to cover the $29.5M gap

The bottom two bars are the City's plan: $20.1M of lasting cuts (105 jobs, 85 already empty, plus other savings) and Measure V ($9.6M), which together cover the FY2028 gap. The bars above are alternatives the Council could use instead, or if V fails. All ten add up to about $24.5M.

Notes and sourcesExamples, not recommendations. Sizes are FY2028 General Fund amounts at the example percentages. Measures P and U1: 25% of the FY2028 budget estimates ($12.24M and $6.6M). Overtime savings are before the cost of hiring. Fire overtime: FY2025 Mid-Year Report. The capital transfer cut is hatched because it only delays the cost. Not shown: UC Berkeley pays the City about $4.75M a year under a 2021 agreement, and a City consultant estimated UC's net cost to the City at $0 to $18M a year more than that, but the agreement can't be changed until 2037. Sources: May 19, 2026 staff report; FY2027-28 budget; UC documents under Sources.

If Measure V fails: an $8.9M gap, and the cuts the City has named

With V, the FY2028 budget has $0.75M to spare; without it, it is $8.9M short, a $9.6M swing. The budget already names the cuts that would cover it. One-time money keeps all 33 jobs through FY2027; the cuts would come in the FY2028 budget update.

What closing that $9.6M takes
15 police officers + 6 dispatcher jobs9 officers filled · specialty units end
$5.5M
Close Fire Station 49 fire jobs, all filled
$3.7M
Cut 3 recreation jobsall 3 empty
$0.5M
Three cuts together
$9.7M

The three cuts, $9.7M, would cover the $8.9M gap.

What each cut means, in the City's words

Close Fire Station 4

9 fire jobs, all filled · $3.7M a year

Engine 4 answered 28 fires and 966 medical calls, including 17 cardiac arrests, in 2025; those calls would go to farther stations. The City says the closure "will significantly degrade response times" and that the effects "cannot be fully mitigated." Fire is already 59 seconds over its 8:30 target; the City hasn't estimated how much the closure would add.

Cut 15 police officers

9 filled, 6 empty · $5.5M a year with the dispatchers

Specialty units shrink or end: traffic, community services, the bicycle team and major detective work. The City says this means less proactive work, fewer investigations and less community engagement. Police beat their 8-minute target for top-priority calls today (7 minutes); the effect on response times and on solving crimes (42% of violent crimes, against Oakland's 10%) hasn't been estimated.

Cut 6 dispatcher jobs

all 6 empty, so no layoffs

The 911 center has 20 of 32 authorized positions filled and relies on mandatory overtime. Cutting the open jobs stops hiring into them. The City says this "will slow 9-1-1 call-taking and impact reliability." Berkeley hasn't published its 911 answer times since 2017.

Cut 3 recreation jobs

all 3 empty · $0.5M a year

Pools may close some weekends, or one pool for the winter. Therapeutic recreation for up to 21 youth with special needs ends. Summer camp and afterschool programs each lose 36 slots, and community centers close some evenings and weekends.

Source: City of Berkeley, May 19, 2026 staff report (Council Item 21) and its Supplement 2 department narratives. Targets, response times and crimes solved: the scorecard in Section 5.

Notes and sourcesThe soda grant figure is the FY2025 General Fund amount: $712K to Berkeley Unified and $712K through the City's soda tax panel. FY2028 may differ. Measure W could add up to $150K a year in election admin costs in any outcome. V and AA start April 1, 2027, so FY2027 only gets about a quarter of a year. The City covers FY2027 with one-time money. Only Measure V adds General Fund money: about $9.5M a year in the ballot estimate, $9.6M in the FY2028 budget. W (election rules) could add up to $150K a year in General Fund admin costs. X (rent rules) only affects the Rent Board, which runs on its own fees.

What each November measure would do

Only Measure V helps close the gap. The others cover repairs (U), elections (W), renters (X), the arts (Y), a public bank (Z) and health programs (AA), each with its own cost for a typical home. This page doesn't recommend a vote.

Show all seven measures
MeasureWhat it pays forCost a year, typical homeEffect on the gapLasts
U$300M bond
Buildings, parks, seismic and climate repairs
$120
None
About 40 years
VHalf-cent sales tax
Any City service
$100 per $20K spent
Closes $9.6M a year
Until voters end it
WCharter changes
Election rules
None
Up to $150K more in costs
Permanent
XRent law changes
Rent rules
None
None
Permanent
YArts parcel tax
Arts grants
$130
None
12 years
ZPublic bank parcel tax
Public bank start-up
$115
None
6 years
AASoda tax, 1¢ to 2¢
Health and nutrition grants
1¢/oz
−$1.15M to +$0.3M a year
Until repealed
What each measure would fund, in full
MeasureWhat it would pay for or changeCost to a typical homeEffect on the City's gapLasts
U: $300M bond (two-thirds vote)Public buildings and infrastructure: emergency response facilities, parks, accessibility, seismic and climate upgrades. About 17% of the $1.8B repair backlog.About $120 a year (property tax; about $190 in the peak year)NoneAbout 40 years of repayment
V: half-cent sales taxAny City service. The FY2028 budget counts on it to keep Fire Station 4, 15 police officers, 6 dispatcher jobs and 3 recreation jobs.About $100 a year for every $20,000 of taxable purchases in BerkeleyCloses about $9.6M a year of the gapUntil voters end it
W: City Charter changesElection rules: candidate filing fee from $150 to $25; more public campaign financing money for administration ($250K to $400K); recall and initiative procedures.None directlyUp to $150K a year more in costsPermanent
X: rent law changesCaps rent increases at 10% a year; tenants keep coverage if their unit later becomes exempt; tenant associations at 5 or more units; fee waivers for nonprofit subsidized housing.None for most ownersNone (Rent Board runs on its own fees)Permanent
Y: arts parcel taxArts grants: 75% performing-arts organizations, 10% buildings and equipment, 5% individual artists, 5% festivals.About $130 a yearNone12 years
Z: public bank parcel taxMoney to start a public bank lending for affordable housing, green energy and small business. If no bank is licensed by mid-2033, the fund can lend directly.About $115 a year, rising with inflationNone6 years
AA: soda tax 1¢ to 2¢Health, nutrition and drinking-water programs: at least 42.5% to community grants and 42.5% to Berkeley Unified.1¢ more per ounce of sugary drinks (12¢ on a 12-ounce can), if passed on to shoppersBetween −$1.15M and +$0.3M a year, depending on the City's soda grantsUntil repealed

Together, U, Y and Z would add about $370 a year to the property tax bill of a typical home. These are the November 3, 2026 measures; the W, X and Y in "What voters already pay for" are 2024 measures with the same letters.

Notes and sourcesTypical home: $550,000 assessed value and 1,900 square feet, the same home used in the schools section. U: average levy of $22.14 per $100,000 of assessed value over about 40 years; the City estimates the highest rate at $35 per $100,000 from 2040-41, about $190 for a typical home. V is a sales tax, so its cost depends on spending, not the home: $100 a year for every $20,000 of taxable purchases in Berkeley. Y: $0.07 per square foot of building. Z: $0.06 per square foot for homes ($0.09 for commercial), adjusted for inflation. V: 0.5% of taxable purchases made in Berkeley, bringing the rate to 10.75%. AA: the tax is paid by distributors; how much reaches shelf prices varies. All measures except U need a simple majority. The official arguments for and against each measure are in the county voter information guide. Source: City Attorney impartial analyses, November 3, 2026 ballot.

7. Long-term fixes

The City's plan covers FY2028. After that the gap comes back if pay and benefits grow faster than revenue. These options answer the causes above: services Berkeley runs that most cities don't (Section 4), general government's growth and how fast pay grows (Section 2), and short-term budgeting (Section 1). Examples, not recommendations.

Projected General Fund gap, FY2028 to FY2032

At 5% a year growth in pay and benefits, a $12M gap is back by FY2030.

Notes and sourcesThis is an illustration, not a City forecast. The City hasn't published a spending forecast past FY2028. Other costs grow 3% a year in all three lines.

What each option would change

Each changes the budget every year, not just once. Examples, not recommendations.

OptionPer yearWhat would changeWhat isn't known
Change what the City runs
Bring general government closer to nearby cities$2.2M per 5%General government, the offices that run the City, costs $419 per resident against a median of $255 for nearby cities. It grew from $34.0M to $53.2M from FY2022 to FY2025, mostly about 35 added positions and one-time spending. A 5% cut means 10 to 12 fewer positions and slower permits, contracts and records.Which offices would shrink, and how much of the difference is how cities book costs.
Use part of Measures P and U1 for other servicesup to $18MThese general taxes go to homelessness and housing by Council choice. Moving money out shrinks those programs by the same amount.Which programs would shrink.
Hand public and mental health to Alameda County$1.3M to $6.3MBerkeley is one of three California cities with its own health department; nearby, the county runs it. It costs the General Fund about $7.9M net. City-only programs would end or move: public health in FY2028 at the earliest, mental health around FY2030. Shelters and homeless outreach stay with the City.Which programs the county keeps.
Hand ambulance transport to the County's contractorlikely $3M to $8MElsewhere in the county a contractor runs ambulances, paid only by patient fees. It would keep Berkeley's fees ($9.2M in FY2027), and the City would lose a Medi-Cal add-on only public providers get. Fire engines with paramedics would still answer medical calls first. Earliest start about FY2030; full range $2M more cost to $13M saved.What is inside the $23.8M emergency medical budget; whether the paramedic tax ($4.15M) and Measure FF could pay for paramedics on engines; whether the County would take Berkeley in.
Send civilian responders to calls that don't need police$0 to $2M netAbout a fifth of officer call time goes to welfare checks, alarms, noise, parking and similar calls: the work of 4 to 6 officers ($1.6M to $2.5M). The County has run crisis response since 2025, so the City might add only 2 to 3 Community Service Officers: about $1M to $2M net, or $0 to $1M with its own crisis team.Saves money only if officer jobs or overtime actually go down.
Slow pay growth
Hold pay growth 1 point lower$2.1M, then $8.6MSmaller raises for every group: $2.1M in FY2028, $8.6M a year after four years. At 2.4% growth the gap stays within about $2M a year through FY2032; at 5%, a $12M gap is back by FY2030 (chart above). Police and fire contracts are being negotiated now.Effect on hiring and keeping staff, with 10% to 12% of City jobs already empty.
Budget rules other cities use
Plan 10 years ahead, and require the plan to balanceNo direct savingA forecast shows a gap coming; a balance rule makes the City act on it, since every year of the plan must cover its costs. Palo Alto presents a 10-year forecast each January. Only Sunnyvale requires balance: 10 years in its charter, 20 by policy. The Council can adopt either, or voters can put them in the charter.Whether a forecast alone changes decisions: Palo Alto and San Leandro plan 10 years ahead and still face gaps. How much of Sunnyvale's result comes from the rule.
Pay into the pension savings trust every year under set rulesCosts money each yearPalo Alto and Sunnyvale do this. Berkeley drew $3M from its trust in FY2025 and $6M in FY2026 to fill gaps, with no rule to refill it.How large a yearly deposit would be. It adds to spending in the years it is made.
Notes and sourcesMeasures P and U1: $18M a year, see Section 3. Public health: the range is from the City's May 19, 2026 staff report; the $7.9M net cost and the ambulance figures are FY2025-26 budget figures (see "Where Berkeley spends more than the typical city"). The other two California cities with their own health departments are Long Beach and Pasadena. Ambulances: Berkeley holds its own transport rights under state law (Health and Safety Code 1797.201) and is the only legal provider in the city (Council report, June 30, 2026, Item 25); Alameda County EMS Plan (2023), pp. 4-5; the County's 2025 attempt to replace its contractor was rejected and could take up to three more years. Emergency medical spending $23.8M and fees $8.67M in FY2025 (State Controller); fees $9.2M in FY2027 (proposed budget, Supplement 2); paramedic tax $4.15M in FY2027 (June 16, 2026, Item 11); the Medi-Cal add-on raised Berkeley's rate from $339 to $1,062 per transport (FY2025-26 budget book, p. 85). The range is our estimate: the low end assumes only ambulance crew costs go away and the taxes can't be moved; the high end assumes most of the $23.8M goes away and both taxes can pay for paramedics on fire engines; the likely range is a judgment. Pay growth: 1% of FY2028 General Fund salaries and benefits ($213M), compounding. The outlook chart is at the top of this section. Lighter bar: the range of the estimate. Civilian responders: our estimate. Calls are all 2025 police calls for service from the City's open data. The call file has no timestamps, so each call gets the officers per call and median minutes for its type from the City Auditor's 2021 response study (Figure 36, Table 17), scaled up by about half because medians run short of averages. Pay is 2025 median pay and benefits: Police Officer $411K, Community Service Officer $169K, Behavioral Health Clinician II $191K, Community Health Worker Specialist $149K, supervisor $245K. Budget rules: planning horizon is the longest General Fund forecast or plan each city publishes. Oakland's Council received its 5-year forecast without adopting it. Reserve targets run from 7.5% of the General Fund (Oakland) to 30% (El Cerrito); Berkeley's goal is 20-30% of revenue, and it held 21.3% in FY2025. Hayward's reserve is about used up. Richmond shows no gap only by leaving about 12% of jobs empty. Sources: Sunnyvale FY2024 annual financial report and FY2025/26 budget adoption (Council Policy 7.1A.1.3); Palo Alto FY2027 Long Range Financial Forecast (Jan 2026); City of Berkeley budget documents and City Auditor (Apr 2026); other cities' sources under Sources. Detail moved from the table: Health, Housing & Community Services runs shelter and homeless outreach contracts ($75M in all funds and $10.6M from the General Fund in FY2026), with the City Manager's homeless response team. The other Alameda County cities with their own ambulances are Alameda, Albany and Piedmont; the earliest start waits for the County to redo its stalled ambulance contract. Layoff costs and pensions already earned are not included. Police got 59,966 calls in 2025: 27% from 911, 45% by other phone lines, 26% started by officers, the rest other ways; 7.2% carry a mental health or homelessness flag. Community Service Officers: $0.35M to $0.5M for 2 to 3; a City crisis team: $0.9M to $1.1M for 12 hours a day. Whether the county's team can take more of these calls isn't known. Hayward's policy says to balance over 10 years, but it publishes 5. Sunnyvale runs fewer services: public health is the county's, one public safety department does police and fire, and it has no city ambulance service. Voters approved Measures P and U1; the Council decides how to spend them.

Sources: City of Berkeley FY2025-26 and FY2027-28 budget documents, FY2026 mid-year revenue report, City Auditor financial condition audit (Apr 2026), City Attorney impartial analyses (Nov 2026 ballot). Full list with links under Sources below.

Sources

City of Berkeley budget documents

City Auditor and the November 3, 2026 ballot

State data

Pay records

Schools

Other cities

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