City Flags $2.33 Million in Available Funds, But Shifting Money Could Jeopardize Key Projects

A supplemental report prepared for the City Council shows approximately $2.33 million in funding available from completed or deferred projects that could be transferred to other priorities.

Information on that money came ahead of a joint meeting on Monday of the City Council and the Finance Committee to review the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget.

The total includes about $2.43 million in available balances, offset by roughly $97,645 in restricted funds, resulting in a net amount that may be considered for reallocation.

These funds come from a mix of sources, including the General Fund, charter capital funds and other designated revenue streams.

Among the projects with remaining balances are building maintenance efforts, seismic retrofits, traffic signal installations and park improvements. In several cases, projects have been completed or placed on hold, allowing remaining funds to be released and considered for reallocation.

For example, completed traffic signal projects and deferred infrastructure efforts account for portions of the available balances identified by staff.

City staff also identified approximately $19.6 million tied to active projects that could have “potential available funding,” though officials caution that much of that money is already committed or necessary to complete ongoing work.

These projects include major infrastructure efforts such as bridge seismic retrofits, street resurfacing, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility upgrades and traffic safety programs.

The report underscores that redirecting funds from active projects could carry significant consequences. In many cases, local dollars serve as required matching funds for state or federal grants.

Removing those funds could jeopardize outside funding and delay or cancel projects already underway.

For example, pedestrian safety improvements funded through state highway safety grants require local matching contributions. Eliminating those funds could result in the loss of grant awards and halt planned upgrades, including flashing beacons and intersection safety enhancements. Similar risks apply to bicycle and transportation safety programs that rely on a combination of local and grant funding.

Transportation and transit-related projects — including bus signal priority systems and bus stop improvements — rely on dedicated funding sources such as Proposition A and Proposition C revenues, which are restricted to transit uses and cannot easily be repurposed.

One of the largest active allocations identified is more than $10.8 million tied to the city’s hydrogen fueling station project, which is part of Pasadena’s zero-emission transit rollout plan. Staff warned that reducing funding for the project could jeopardize grant commitments, undermine agreements with state and federal agencies, and disrupt long-term transit asset planning.