16 Jun Antioch Mayor Says City Has ‘Made a Lot of Progress’ on Budget

Antioch City Manager Bessie Scott, left, and Finance Director Dawn Merchant spoke to City Council about the town budget at a special meeting June 9. (Screenshot captured by Samantha Kennedy / The CC Pulse)

By Samantha Kennedy

As the Antioch City Council nears the end of a budget season packed with around a dozen special meetings dedicated to reducing a more than $54 million multi-year deficit, a $12.5 million deficit — or a $7.5 million deficit using reserves — for next year remains. 

Council members left the last special meeting on June 9 prepared to adopt a budget for 2026 that includes the use of $5 million in budget stabilization funds, a 50% decrease in hours to the Angelo Quinto Crisis Response Team, and more work to do. 

“It’s a lot of money, and we still have more to go, but we have made a lot of progress,” Mayor Ron Bernal said at a regular meeting the day after. “We won’t be satisfied until we get that down to a balanced budget.” 

Almost $2 million in cuts were made June 9, which brought the then-deficit for 2026 from $14.69 million to $12.5 million. A deficit of $15.89 million also remains for fiscal year 2027. 

Council has historically adopted a biennial budget for the following two fiscal years but plans to formally adopt a one-year budget for 2026 to keep a closer eye on finances. Adoption is set for the June 24 meeting. 

Public safety vacancies, crisis response to be cut

The budget plans to remove 12 vacant positions budgeted for the Antioch Police Department as well as positions in the public works, city manager and finance departments, and to reduce hours for the Angelo Quinto Crisis Response Team.

Personnel costs, like many other jurisdictions, are among the highest expenses. In Antioch, personnel costs would make up $68.44 million, or 59% of the general fund budget for 2026. Of those costs, 68% are for the police department. (Projected personnel costs do not include cost-of-living adjustments.)

APD has worked to rebuild its force following the racist police texting scandal while also dealing with retention problems, but Dawn Merchant, the director of finance, said the council directing the budgeting and hiring of a fully staffed department by next fiscal year would have “disastrous consequences” of an additional $19.9 million in deficit spending.  

Instead, the council opted to implement a phased-in approach for APD staffing that sets aside money for 105 sworn staff in 2026 and 117 in 2027. The phased-in approach saves the city around $4.5 million in 2026, depending on how hiring goes. 

APD staffing cuts do not mean officers or services will be reduced because the positions are vacant and were not set to be filled. The department is set to be staffed with around 95 officers by September, according to Capt. Desmond Bittner, with a goal of 101 officers by the end of 2025.

Personnel and APD services costs are increasing from 2025, according to Merchant’s report. From 2025 to 2027, APD’s costs will increase by at least $4 million for increases in pay and adherence to the agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice. 

It remains unclear how other future agreements, such as those with the California Department of Justice, could impact the city financially. 

Costs for the AQCRT, which was established in 2023 to respond to low-level emergencies following the death of Angelo Quinto after APD officers restrained him during a mental health crisis, will be fully funded by the American Rescue Plan Act. The move saves the city more than $3.95 million over the next two years, but reduces the 24/7 service to 12 hours per day from 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. 

Between January and June of 2025, the team responded to more than 2,400 dispatch calls, according to a presentation to the Antioch Police Oversight Commission. Almost half of those —1,017 dispatch calls — were for welfare checks. 

If necessary, Bittner said, the reduced service hours could be shifted around to meet demands during other parts of the day. 

Other departments could lose funding, seek partnerships

Council will receive monthly reports following the adoption of the 2026 budget on finances to consider future cuts, but some things are already on their radar. Funding for animal services, blocking the extension of a contract with former interim police chief William “Brian” Addington, and partnering with other agencies on the closed Contra Loma Swim Lagoon could be some of the council’s next targets. 

City Manager Bessie Scott said the city could pay around 30% of what it currently pays for the city-operated shelter if it were to “join forces” with the county’s animal services agency. 

“We support our furry friends, so this is a good thing. This isn’t anything that would diminish our service delivery,” said Scott. 

Recommendations from commissioned studies and Civil Grand Jury reports have previously called on the city’s animal services department to improve shelter conditions by adding coordinators and sharing duties with outside services.  

The Contra Loma Swim Lagoon, which has been closed for repairs since the end of the 2021 swim season, is located on East Bay Regional Park District land but within Antioch city limits. Council members Monica Wilson and Don Freitas said exploring partnerships with other agencies and being included in conversations related to the remediation of the Lagoon is necessary. 

“This is not acceptable,” said Freitas. “(The Lagoon) has been very important to us, particularly for families that don’t have the financial means to go to Disneyland.” 

According to Bernal, the cost for the EBRPD to make the repairs to reopen the Lagoon is around $14 million. Only $3 million has been saved for the project, Bernal said.