Every year, the City of Chula Vista develops a balanced General Fund budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins in July and ends in June of the following year. The City Manager and the Finance Department work together with all City departments to prepare an annual budget that is then presented to the City Council for review and approval.

While the Citywide budget includes more than 200 individual funds, the General Fund is the most flexible and supports essential daily services such as police, fire, parks, recreation, libraries, city maintenance and other essential public services.

Why Your Voice Matters

The City is committed to expanding public participation in the budget process. Your feedback helps the City understand what services and priorities matter most to residents and ensures that community needs are reflected in budget decisions.

To support this ongoing effort, the Finance Department developed this Budget Development Survey for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-27.

The Survey takes about 8-10 minutes and is anonymous.

Survey will close on March 2, 2026

Learn More About the Budget Process!

What Makes Up the City’s Budget?

The City budget has two major components:

• Operating Budget

This covers the day-to-day services you use and see in your community such as public safety, parks, recreation programs, libraries, street maintenance, and more. These expenses happen every fiscal year, so the Operating Budget is planned one fiscal year at a time and must be equal to or less than the revenues the City expects to receive that year.

• Capital Improvement Program (CIP)

This focuses on long-term investments that help build and improve our city such as roads, parks, public buildings, and major equipment. Because these projects often span multiple years, these projects are funded with a mix of current revenues and funds set aside over time.

How the Budget is Built

The annual budget process is guided by the City Charter and begins with the Finance Department creating a baseline budget, which reflects the cost of maintaining current service levels. Finance then collaborates with all City departments to refine this baseline and evaluate any requests to expand programs or improve services. The City Manager reviews these requests and incorporates approved items into the Proposed Budget. The Proposed Budget then is reviewed and approved by the City Council.

Want to learn more about the City’s budget or view past annual budgets? Visit the Budget Information website. 

Budget Development Timeline (FY 2026-27)

Community Budget Meetings

Two Community Budget Presentation meetings will be held to discuss the FY 2026-27 Proposed Budget with the Community:

Save the Date!

• Wed., April 15, 2026 at Civic Center Library at 6 p.m. (Auditorium, 365 F Street)
• Wed., April 22, 2026 at Otay Ranch Library at 5:30 p.m. (The Hub, 2015 Birch Rd. Suite 407)

The FY 2026-27 Proposed Budget is currently under development.