Budget and Audit Committee Meeting Summary - March 10, 2026
Budget and Audit Committee Meeting Summary - March 10, 2026
The Budget and Audit Committee met on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at 11:02 a.m. in the City Hall Council Chamber. The meeting was chaired by Roger Dickinson and included members Caity Maple, Karina Talamantes, and Eric Guerra (arrived at 11:13 a.m. and left at 11:51 a.m.). The committee considered six agenda items, including the consent calendar, budget survey results, auditor's community survey, auditor's work plan, and active transportation commission recommendations. The meeting adjourned at 12:35 p.m.
Consent Calendar
- Approved minutes of the February 3, 2026 meeting.
- Accepted the City Auditor's Whistleblower Hotline Activity Report for July–December 2025 and forwarded it to City Council.
- One public speaker (Lambert) commented on the whistleblower report, expressing concerns about lack of auditability and no written agreements.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Lambert (on items 2, 3, 5, and non-agenda): Criticized the city's handling of Wide Open Walls and David Sobon events, alleging no written agreements and lack of auditability. He questioned the expense of translating survey languages with zero responses. He also referenced a 2023 discussion, saying it was not relevant to the current agenda.
- Keon Bliss (on items 3, 5, and 6): Noted declining survey response rates (from 1,587 in the first year to 531 this year), argued that council ignores survey priorities, and called for budget town halls in every district. He urged prioritizing police overtime and budgeting practice audits, and criticized the lack of performance metrics for police spending.
Discussion Items
Fiscal Year 2026/27 Budget Survey Results
- Presented by Mirthala Santizo, Budget Manager. Survey was open October 22, 2025 to January 20, 2026 (3 months), translated into 7 languages, with 525 respondents. Key findings: 40% support reducing expenses; 41% agree with council's top three priorities (public safety, homelessness, economic development); 50% oppose any tax/fee increases; top five expense reductions include police, climate programs, capital projects, homelessness, arts and culture. Councilmembers noted the survey is not scientifically representative (525 respondents out of ~500,000 residents) and discussed potential improvements. Chair Dickinson questioned the survey's utility given the small non-representative sample.
- Outcome: Received and commented.
City Auditor's 2026 Community Survey
- Presented by Joyce Shi, Principal Fiscal Policy Analyst. Two sample groups: representative sample (7,500 households, 450 responses, 6% response rate, ±5% margin of error) and open participation (1,454 responses). Key findings: 68% rate quality of life as excellent/good; safety, economy, and mobility are high importance but low quality; governance ratings remain below 40%; some trends show decreases in mobility, safety, and economy ratings. The survey includes an interactive dashboard.
- Outcome: Motion to forward to City Council for review (passed unanimously 4-0 with Guerra present).
City Auditor's Proposed Work Plan for FY 2026/27
- Presented by City Auditor Farishta Ahrary. Reviewed past audits, current projects, and six proposed audits. Proposed audits: homeless response coordination, police department overtime practices, urban forestry operations, walkability assessment (contracted), financial management/budgeting practices (contracted), and code enforcement operations. Also discussed rolling over unstarted projects and possible removal of special event permitting and illegal cannabis cultivation audits.
- Committee discussion: Councilmembers expressed support for homeless response, police overtime, and financial management audits. They agreed to drop the special event permitting audit, pause (not drop) the illegal cannabis cultivation audit, merge the code enforcement night team into operations audit, and forward the walkability and budgeting audits with direction to develop scope and cost. Concerns raised about potential cuts to auditor's office staff.
- Outcome: Motion passed (3-0, Guerra absent) to adopt the work plan as directed: remove special event permitting, pause illegal cannabis, combine code enforcement audits, carry forward BOT analysis to finance, and add homeless response, police overtime, and urban forestry audits. Walkability and budgeting audits to be contracted out after scope/cost development.
Active Transportation Commission Recommendations from 2025 Annual Report
- Presented by Chris Dougherty, Transportation Planning Manager, and outgoing chair Arlette Hodel. Eight recommendations with $8.2 million one-time and $7.7 million ongoing costs. Recommendations include: increase funding, implement traffic calming toolbox, increase quick build program, implement leading pedestrian intervals citywide, develop safe routes to school, implement no turn on red policy, pedestrian safety review of transitional housing, and expand creative crosswalk policy.
- Discussion: Councilmembers supported moving recommendations to full council for budget discussion. Councilmember Talamantes noted the need for a better process for commission budget requests. Chair Dickinson supported quick build but cautioned on no turn on red needing calibration.
- Outcome: Motion to forward all recommendations to City Council for discussion (passed 3-0, Guerra absent).
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar approved unanimously (3-0, Guerra absent).
- FY26/27 Budget Survey Results received and commented.
- City Auditor's 2026 Community Survey forwarded to City Council (4-0).
- City Auditor's Proposed Work Plan FY26/27 adopted with modifications: special event permitting audit removed, illegal cannabis cultivation audit paused, code enforcement night team and operations merged, BOT analysis dropped, and three new audits added (homeless response, police overtime, urban forestry). Walkability and financial management audits to be contracted out after scope/cost development. Motion passed 3-0.
- Active Transportation Commission Recommendations forwarded to City Council for budget discussion (3-0).
- The committee adjourned to closed session at 12:35 p.m.
Meeting Transcript
All right, we will call to order the budget and audit committee meeting for here. March 10th. It's already March 10th. Wow. 2026. You'd be really shocked if I said it was March 10th, 2028, wouldn't you? Yeah. Then you'd be worried. All right, good morning to everybody. We're glad to have you uh join us. Um just a couple of items. Uh if uh you wish to speak on any item on our agenda, you're welcome to do that. Feel please fill out a form and turn that into our clerk at the front of the chambers. Uh when your name is called, please come to the the podium and uh keep an eye on the on the clock because you have two minutes for your your comments. So we want you to make sure you get everything in that you you want to communicate to us. With that, I think we need to call a quorum. Uh yes, please. Councilmember Talamantes. Yeah. Councilmember Maple. Here I select Council Member Gatta momentarily and Chair Dickinson. Here. Okay. You have a quorum. We have a quorum. Would you mind uh do and uh acknowledgement? You are able. Please rise for the opening acknowledgments in honor of Sacramento's indigenous peoples and tribal lands to the original people of this land, the Nissanan people, the Southern Mai, Gallian Plains, New York, Patwan Wintoon peoples, and the people of the Wilton Rancheria, Sacramento's only federally recognized tribe. May we acknowledge and honor the native people who came before us and so walk beside us today on these ancestral lands by choosing to gather today in the active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's indigenous people's history, contributions, and lives. Thank you. It remains standing. Well, salute and pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. Thank you. All right, Madam Clerk. So chair, we move to the consent calendar. We have items one and two. I do have one speaker on consent. Okay. Do we have anyone who wishes to speak on those items? I do. Lambert would like to speak on item two. Okay. Good morning. Good morning. Item two. I'm a big fan of the whistleblower. I wasn't at first, but when uh the former uh person caught some people, then I was really proud because uh I was at arts and culture yesterday trying to get clarity, and they they were they were very uh protective of that, but during the uh whistleblower, which is a great program if it's uh fair, impartial, and they were able to catch a group that actually received a no written agreement. That's a stickler for a person in business. A no written agreement, and then they said they couldn't audit it.
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