Special Reno City Council Meeting - Budget Workshop
Monday, May 5, 2025
What Happened
Reno City Council held a special budget workshop on May 5 that stretched for hours, approving the fiscal year 2026 budget and fee schedule while leaving major questions unresolved on parking enforcement, senior services funding, and infrastructure priorities.
Key Decisions
APPROVED — FY26 General Fund budget of $321 million — Unanimous — Balances $25 million shortfall using one-time funds ($9.5 million), frozen positions ($19.75 million), and $5 million in ARPA funding redirected from capital projects
APPROVED — Appeals permit fee increase from $100 to $200 with hardship waiver process — Unanimous — Rejected staff recommendation for $500 fee; new amount still generates $4,000-$6,000 annually but reduces access barriers for lower-income residents
APPROVED — FY26 Redevelopment Agency budgets (RDA1 and RDA2) — Unanimous — RDA1 operating budget with $4.6 million available; RDA2 with $10.2 million available for capital improvements and $1 million annual baseball stadium operations
Debated But Not Resolved
Boards and commissions restructuring — Council split on whether traditional appointed boards still serve public engagement needs in 2025; some advocated for alternative methods (town halls, coffee with councilors, social media) — 90-day pause approved; public feedback process begins June 4
Parking enforcement expansion — Council Member Doer pushed for creating dedicated parking unit as revenue-positive; city manager said not ready to hire two new positions but will develop robust program after parking study — Ideas coming to council soon
Senior Advisory Board funding — Council Member Eert opposed $40,000 cut; Council Member Reese questioned spending on cooking classes; majority noted Washoe County (not Reno) funds senior services — Council may reallocate $15,000 Conference of Mayors membership to partially restore funding
Virginia Lake bank erosion repairs — $1.6-$2 million needed but RCT District 5 has only $900,000 available; federal grants pending — No immediate solution; staff pursuing two-year CDBG allocation strategy
Street reconstruction costs — Vice Mayor Taylor warned about $800 million-$1 billion deferred maintenance backlog over 10 years; Council Member Ree countered government always has backlogs — Fall workshop scheduled to discuss alternative funding methods
What to Watch
$321,000,000 — General Fund operations and services
$500,000 — Surveillance system
$9,500,000 — One-time budget balancing (property sales, fund balance, capital reallocation)
$19,750,000 — Frozen/vacant positions across all city departments
$12,000,000 — Sewer collection pipe rehabilitation
$8,200,000 — Street rehabilitation and reconstruction
$3,500,000 — Street preventative maintenance
$192,000,000 — Capital Improvement Plan (pending sewer rate increase approval)
Appeal fee decision implementation — City must establish hardship waiver process for the $200 appeals fee; process design and eligibility criteria will come to council before July
Parking study recommendations — City Manager Bryant promised to bring forward parking enforcement expansion options "in the near future"; watch for proposal to move parking officers to police department and potentially hire two new positions
Boards and commissions report — June 4 public engagement kickoff begins; final assessment and restructuring recommendations due within 90 days; decision affects 40+ city boards and commissions
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