City Council to hold budget study session

The Santa Clarita City Council is set to hold a budget study session on Tuesday, with plans to discuss the various priorities established by the city for the 2022-2023 fiscal year.

In a previous budget study session in February, the council members said they had four primary goals moving forward: COVID-19 recovery, city infrastructure, public safety and state legislation.

While the city said it has recovered significantly since the downturn it took during the pandemic, global and national trends show economic growth at a lower rate than previously projected due to the ongoing COVID-19 concerns, as well as inflation and supply issues.

A key focal point will be public safety, which for the past year and a half the Santa Clarita City Council has said has been jeopardized by L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón and his policy directives that limited sentencing and bail enhancements for a number of crimes and misdemeanors.

The largest expenditure from the general fund in the coming year, public safety, is expected to see a $31.5 million injection from the city.

The process to create the budget for the fiscal year typically begins in January and culminates in June with the adoption of a balanced annual budget.

The study session is set to be held in the Carl Boyer room, formerly the Century Room, in City Hall, located at 23920 Valencia Blvd., starting at 5 p.m.