EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the attached resolution approving the redistribution of unspent and relinquished funds for the City Council’s Travel and Training Budget in Fiscal Year 2024-2025, in addition to returning unused funds to the General Fund.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
This agenda item is not identified in the City Council Strategic Plan nor is it directly correlated to a specific priority or goal.
BACKGROUND
On November 28, 2023, via Resolution No. 6234-23, the City Council amended its Policy Governing Expenses for the City Council (“Policy”). The Policy provides that the Travel and Training Budget be established in a set amount per Councilmember during the biennial budget process. For Fiscal Year 2024-2025, the total budget allocation is $30,000 distributed as follows: $10,000 for the Mayor and $5,000 for each City Councilmember.
In its latest revision to the Policy, on May 13, 2025 the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2025-066. The amendments to the Policy were as follows: 1) remove the $2,000 cap on redistribution; 2) eliminate the provided examples for per diem reimbursements but make no substantive revision to the Policy in this regard; 3) remove the cash advance provision; 4) increase the days for submitting for an expense reimbursement from 30 to 45 days; and 5) add clarifying language regarding access to IT equipment.
Under Section III of the Policy, it outlines the process by which Councilmembers that do not intend to expend their budgeted funds during the remainder of the fiscal year may voluntarily elect to relinquish those funds. The decision by a Councilmember to relinquish funds is entirely voluntary, but is final and irrevocable. Annually at the first meeting in May, any relinquished funds will be evenly distributed to Councilmembers that have elected to not relinquish their funds for the remainder of the fiscal year. The relinquished funds will continue to be evenly distributed until outstanding expenses have been reimbursed for each Councilmember that has elected to not relinquish their funds and shall continue to be distributed until there are no outstanding expenses left or until the relinquished funds have been completely exhausted.
DISCUSSION
The attached resolution for this item would approve the redistribution of unspent and relinquished funds for the City Council’s Travel and Training Budget in Fiscal Year 2024-2025.
Vice Mayor Scott Sakakihara has voluntarily elected to relinquish $815.00 of his unspent funds. Per the Policy, these relinquished funds are to be evenly redistributed to the Councilmembers who have not relinquished any funds but that have outstanding expenses. This includes Councilmember Jaime Patiño and Councilmember Jeff Wang. The adjusted budget allocation for each Councilmember’s Travel and Training Budget for FY 2024-2025 is as follows:
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COUNCILMEMBER
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ADJUSTED BUDGET FOR FY 2024-2025
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Mayor Gary Singh
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$10,000.00
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Vice Mayor Scott Sakakihara
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$4,185.00
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Councilmember Lance Nishihira
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$5,000.00
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Councilmember Jaime Patiño
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$5,407.50
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Councilmember Jeff Wang
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$5,407.50
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The total budget for City Council’s Travel and Training in FY 2024-2025 is $30,000.00 as adopted during the budget process.
FISCAL IMPACT
The fiscal impact of City Council taking the recommended action is a redistribution of funds within the City Council’s overall Travel and Training Budget. Any unused funds at the end of the fiscal year will be returned to the General Fund.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the attached resolution approving the redistribution of unspent and relinquished funds for the City Council’s Travel and Training Budget in Fiscal Year 2024-2025, in addition to returning unused funds to the General Fund.
Prepared by:
Jennifer Phan, Deputy City Manager
Submitted by:
Jennifer Phan, Deputy City Manager