Cole Signals Possible ‘No’ Vote on City Budget

In an email sent to community members on Sunday, Councilmember Rick Cole said he may cast a rare vote against the city’s proposed fiscal year budget, arguing that several priorities identified by the City Council last year are not adequately funded in the spending plan.

Cole said he is considering voting “no” on the budget to underscore concerns that the proposal fails to address key policy goals established by the council in December.

“I may cast a rare ‘no’ vote on the budget to send a signal that at least this Councilmember is serious about our priorities,” Cole said.

In December, the City Council identified five priorities intended to guide development of the budget: upgrading the Pasadena Fire Department, repairing streets and sidewalks and improving safety, supporting business growth along North Lake Avenue, North Fair Oaks Avenue, Lincoln Avenue and East Colorado Boulevard, securing a year-round homeless shelter, and advancing the city’s goal of achieving 100% renewable energy by 2030.

Councilmembers have twice questioned the housing department about the housing shelter,

According to Cole, the council incorporated funding for local solar projects into the city’s capital improvement budget at his urging. However, he said the proposed operating budget does not provide funding for the other priorities.

“I did not expect the City Manager to ‘find’ extra money,” Cole said. “I expected that we would make hard choices to reorder our priorities within our existing resources. That has not happened.”

Cole’s comments come as the City Council prepares to adopt a budget that balances public safety, infrastructure, homelessness services and other municipal operations amid competing financial demands.

Cole argued that the budget should more clearly reflect the priorities established by the council, even if doing so requires shifting resources from other programs.

A vote against the budget would not prevent its adoption if a majority of Councilmembers support the spending plan, but it would signal dissatisfaction with the city’s budgetary direction and could foreshadow efforts to amend future spending priorities.

The City Council is expected to take final action on the budget during upcoming deliberations.