Arcata City Council on June 17 adopted its fiscal year 2026-27 budget and legislative platform, set the city’s appropriations limit and moved Measure G renewal onto the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot in a single meeting that tied together budget, tax and election policy.
According to the meeting minutes, the council adopted Resolution No. 256-74 and approved adding a $25,000 General Fund line item for a climate manager. Staff said the budget was about $95 million overall, with a $21.6 million general fund and $50.1 million in capital spending.
The council also adopted Resolution No. 256-73 establishing the FY 2026-27 appropriations limit and Resolution No. 256-63 placing renewal of Measure G — Arcata’s three-fourths-cent transactions and use tax — on the Nov. 3 ballot. The council requested the city attorney prepare an impartial analysis of the measure and also adopted Resolution No. 256-66 calling the general municipal election for the same date, asking Humboldt County to consolidate it with the statewide general election and have the county elections office conduct it.
Councilmembers Stillman and Vice Mayor Atkins-Salazar were appointed to draft the primary argument in favor of the tax measure, with a rebuttal argument possible if needed.
The meeting also included action on a temporary hiring freeze, which agenda materials said was intended to address fiscal conditions and preserve General Fund reserves, though the formal June 17 minutes in the provided record focus on the budget, tax and election resolutions. The council’s broader budget package comes amid staff-described pressure from declining sales-tax and transient-occupancy receipts, along with rising insurance and personnel costs, as reflected in the agenda materials.
Arcata also added a $25,000 climate manager placeholder to the adopted budget, signaling that the city may revisit staffing tied to climate work as it moves into the new fiscal year.
