BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The Bakersfield City Council held a public hearing on the city’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2026-2027, during which members of the community shared their points of concern and made suggestions on how the city should invest its dollars.

The city is proposing a budget of over $926 million, which is about $74 million higher than the previous year’s budget.

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The total projected revenue for the next fiscal year is over $848 million, according to the proposed budget book.

All city departments were required to implement a 5% reduction in their personnel costs. This led to the elimination of 72 vacant positions and reduction of nearly $9.5 million, city officials said.

Several members of the community brought forth a wide range of concerns about the proposed budget. These included concerns surrounding privacy in the city’s use of Flock Safety cameras for surveillance, removal of trees and green space, lack of patrol in areas like Panorama Park and more.

One Bakersfield resident asked for a rate assistance program to financially support low-income families following the City Council’s recent approval of the five-year sewer rate hike. In May, the City Council voted against implementing a support program.

Rosa Lopez, a Bakersfield resident and advocate, asked the city to invest more in affordable housing, youth development and accessible community spaces instead of heavily focusing on the police department. She argued public safety is not just about investing in police.

Ward 2 Councilman Andrae Gonzales emphasized three of his priorities: enhancing quality of life, saving the fire rescue units and enhancing tree canopies.

Matters related to quality of life include the $3 million funding for the Martin Luther King Jr. Park and the H Street Corridor improvement project, Gonzales said.

Fire rescue units are two-firefighter units that focus on rapid response toward medical aid calls, such as respiratory distress and cardiac arrest, as well as fires and rescues.

Gonzales said the city should reduce capital project funding to maintain the fire rescue units.

“I would like to see us look towards this budget as a real example of how we can make meaningful investments,” said Gonzales.

Ward 1 Council Member Eric Arias said there have been “decades of … negligence” on many communities in Bakersfield.

Arias agreed with Gonzales on protecting the fire rescue units. He and Vice Mayor Manpreet Kaur also expressed shared concern on Flock Safety’s surveillance system, with Arias saying policing is based on consent from the public which must be earned every day.

According to City Manager Christian Clegg, the city is already developing a privacy and accountability policy regarding the Flock cameras based on a prior referral made by the City Council.

It took a long time as it had to go through the Chief Advisory Panel and the Department of Justice first, but Clegg said the city is expected to be able to look over the policy in a couple months.

Flock cameras in Bakersfield don’t share data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to city officials.

Bakersfield City Council to hold public hearing on proposed FY 2026-2027 city budget

Arias also asked to make significant dollar allocation prior to the budget adoption to enhance tree canopies in wards with little to no coverage.

“Let us identify, with the help of the community, which corridors those are that do not have any tree coverage, and let’s go and make a significant impact,” said Arias.

Final adoption of the budget is set for June 24, according to city documents.

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