SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento City Manager Howard Chan released his $1.6 billion budget proposal Tuesday, with various service cuts and fee hikes to address a $66 million deficit.
The proposal forwards various fee increases and service cuts but avoids layoffs.
Mayor Darrell Steinberg called the proposal a "good start."
"We can balance this budget without laying city workers off, without deep cuts in city services and now the city council takes that template and we look to see what options we have, what tradeoffs we have," Steinberg said.
The tradeoffs include increased fees for youth programs and city facility rentals, adding 300 additional parking meters and eliminating free electric vehicle charging.
It also includes parking fee increases downtown, which was met by mixed reactions on Tuesday.
"We’re already paying fees up the whatever. I mean, how much more are they going to increase fees and taxes before people say, 'Enough is enough. I’m going to someplace where it’s free?'" said Tim Pappas, an attorney who works out at a downtown gym.
There will be public hearings on the budget proposal throughout May for people to weigh in. City Council is set to approve the budget on June 11, after which it will take effect on July 1.
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