FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — As gas prices tick up to $5.74 a gallon, the City of Fresno is feeling the squeeze.
“Any sustained over $5 prices is definitely going to have an impact,” Fresno City Manager Georgeanne White told Action News.
The rising prices add up when employees drive a fleet of thousands of vehicles, with many covering hundreds of miles a day.
“We’re really focused on gas and diesel costs, and those are mostly the standard-size vehicles, police cars, pickup trucks, those types of vehicles,” White said.
Looking to save, officials are cracking down on idling.
“We have software installed in a lot of our vehicles, not 100 percent, and we are able to run idling reports on a monthly basis, and we give that to each department,” White said.
Amid rising gas costs, the city is also bracing for the financial impact of a federal court judgment.
A federal jury recently sided with a former city employee who sued over racial discrimination by a supervisor.
On Thursday, residents urged the council not to appeal and to accept the judgment.
“The federal jury ultimately determined that the City of Fresno is liable, and awarded $15.4 million in damages to Ms. Wilson,” Cynthia Sterling said.
Action News asked Council President Nelson Esparza about the impact on city finances.
“That all remains to be, kind of, determined just depending on how our insurance reacts and responds, and how much they cover,” Esparza said.
The city’s budget deficit is already $23 million.
“Could taxes be raised?” Action News asked. “Is that a possibility?”
“I don’t see that as a possibility at this time,” Esparza said. “We’re going to have to find some places to potentially cut.”
The public will not get a look at the budget until May 14, when the mayor presents his proposal to the council.
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