Tori King
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ)– Cathedral City’s City Council unanimously approved and adopted the biennial budget for fiscal years 2025 and 2026.
The budget was approved at the council’s regular meeting on Wednesday, May 28th. According to the City, the biennial budget addresses the priorities of the community while generating revenues that meet city expenditures and focuses on the City’s Five-Year Strategic Plan, which was updated in March 2025.
“We think having a biennial budget is an important thing,” said Charlie McClendon, the City Manager for Cathedral City. “It promotes long range planning, because instead of looking just one year at a time, we’re looking over the next two years.”
The dollars for the budget comes from a mix of grants, taxes and various funds, according to McClendon.
For Fiscal Year 2025-2026, the City’s General Fund forecasted budgeted revenues are $70.8 million and budgeted expenditures are $76.6 million. The net deficit is $5.8 million, which includes $4.7 million in discretionary or non-recurring expenditures. For Fiscal Year 2026-2027, the City’s General Fund forecasted budgeted revenues are $73.5 million and budgeted expenditures are $78.1 million. The net deficit is $4.5 million, which includes $4.5 million in discretionary expenditures, resulting in a structurally balanced budget, a key aspect that provides a responsible path forward for city leaders.
“Having a structurally balanced budget, where our ongoing revenues balance to our ongoing expenditures, keeps us from having problems in the future,” explained McClendon. “If you if you don’t do that, you’re just pushing problems out down the road.”
The city says it’s staff developed the biennial budget after five months of preparation, reviews, and discussions, with a primary focus to accomplish City Council strategic plans and corresponding goals established in January 2023, with updates made in March 2025.
“Everything we do really is to serve the residents of the community,” said McClendon. “From police and fire protection, to our streets and roads, and our parks and recreation programs. It really is all designed for the people who live here.”
Departments reviewed past accomplishments and developed objectives focusing on achieving these overarching Council strategies and goals:
Serving the Community with Pride and Dedication
Community Investment
Fiscal Stability and Sustainability
Innovation
Safety
Embracing, Inclusive City
A majority of the projects falls under distinct goals, including Major Infrastructure Transformations and Community Investments, Comprehensive Transportation and Safety Improvements, Enhanced Emergency Response and Public Safety, Measure W: Voter-Approved Community Enhancements, and Technology and Innovation Upgrades.
“One of our goals is to make it so that people don’t have to come to City Hall anymore,” said McClendon. “They can do basically everything they need to do online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But that makes us also then have to invest in cyber security so that those who would do harm to us out there it’s at least harder for them to do so.”
Transportation improvements include the Date Palm North of I-10 Expansion, a $5.3 million project that will create a 6-lane roadway providing safe travel and proper storm water drainage in one of the city’s key corridors.
A fourth ambulance will be paid for, and the funds will provide six additional Firefighter Paramedic positions funded by Measure W, ensuring faster response times and better coverage across the community according to the city. The Police Department would also grow with three additional Police Officers in Investigative Services and two additional Public Safety Dispatchers to improve emergency response coordination.
The budget additionally includes funding for the Desert Recreation District Partnership, which will bring professional park maintenance and recreational programming. The budget also sets aside funds for the future construction of a Community Recreation Center.
For a more detailed breakdown of the budget click here.
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