Pasadena Budget: City Council Discusses 2022 Plan

PASADENA, CA — Pasadena’s City Council will begin talks in its Monday meeting on the city's proposed $897.8 million operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

The discussion is the first in a series of hearings the council will hold as officials finalize their funding priorities before voting formally on a budget in June, according to a city report. The 2022 fiscal year starts in July.

The council meeting is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. and can be accessed by visiting the city’s website.

The proposed budget represents a $20 million increase, or roughly 2 percent, over the 2021 adopted budget. It comes as a relief after Pasadena took a hit to its coffers during the pandemic, because of which the city lost $6.4 million in its general fund, according to the report. The proposed budget is still a far cry from the $1.06 billion the city had on hand prior to COVID-19 hitting the area.

COVID-19’s effect is still felt in the proposed 2022 budget. It could take as long as four years for the city’s funding to get back to pre-pandemic levels after many Pasadena businesses were forced to close in the last year, officials said.

The Rose Bowl was a victim of the pandemic closures; no events took place at the sports venue. One of the recommendations in the proposed budget is to allocate $10 million from the city's general fund to help pay for the venue's $12.5 million annual debt service obligation, the city manager’s report said.

Other recommendations include putting $3 million toward housing and services for people experiencing homeless in the city and to expand staffing for the city's Public Health Department to provide health care access to the city's underserved communities.

A copy of Pasadena's proposed operating budget can be found on the city's website.