Santa Rosa is projecting a two-and-a-half-million-dollar budget deficit in the upcoming fiscal year. The hole in the budget will be covered with reserve funds. The budget that kicks in on July 1st is tentatively set at 534-million-dollars, up eleven-percent from the current city budget. This week, City Manager Maraskeshia Smith warned the city council of a challenging year ahead. That’s mostly because revenues are leveling off while expenses keep climbing. Payroll expenses and the cost of goods and services continue to grow.
