BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — How does a city divvy up nearly a billion dollars in its next budget? The city of Bakersfield is asking for your input.
The Bakersfield City Council is holding a required public hearing for the proposed budget to hear comments from community members, according to the agenda.
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The fiscal year 2026-2027 budget is proposed at $926,782,551 while the total projected revenue is $848,761,894, according to city documents.
The budget is made up of a $811,512,708 operating budget and a $115,269,843 capital improvement program budget, city staff said in the agenda.
The city asked departments to implement a 5% reduction in their personnel costs, resulting in 73 vacant positions getting eliminated and reducing more than $9.5 million, according to the report.
The department expected to spend the most next fiscal year is Public Works, which was allocated $202,315,663 in operating costs and $93,786,043 for capital improvements in 2026-2027.
The Police Department was allocated $201,604,150 of the total budget and is proposed to have 724 full-time employees, the highest number of employees among all departments.
According to the proposed budget, the Wastewater Treatment Plant #3 is set to cost the most among all capital improvement programs in 2027, at $18,663,000.
The adopted budget for the current fiscal year of 2025-2026 was over $852 million.
The public hearing is scheduled during the 5:15 p.m. City Council meeting June 10 at 1501 Truxtun Ave.
The budget is set for final adoption by the City Council June 24, according to the agenda.
To view the full proposed budget book, click here.
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