Rialto adopts a surplus budget as revenue climbs 6.5%

The Rialto City Council adopted its fiscal 2026-27 budget on June 23, projecting a General Fund surplus and a sizable reserve as the warehouse city's revenue continues to climb.

The adopted budget projects about $175.86 million in General Fund revenue, a 6.5% increase over the revised 2025-26 figure, and a roughly $2.8 million surplus. The city estimates an unrestricted General Fund balance near $75.3 million. Finance Director Scott Williams told the council the plan rested on conservative revenue and expense estimates and credited the city's position to deliberate moves to widen its economic base.

The revenue mix tells the story of how a logistics-heavy city pays its bills. Property, sales, and utility-users tax together account for more than three-quarters of General Fund revenue — a base tied closely to the industrial development, consumer activity, and utility load that define Rialto's economy.

The budget carries a staffing condition as well: the council froze half the contract-services budget until December to push the city toward hiring full-time employees in place of contractors, with Public Works and development-related services required to report back on recruitment first.

Separately, the council amended the current-year budget to spend about $1.16 million repairing the city's fire-station headquarters on South Willow Avenue, damaged in a May 2024 vehicle crash. The city's insurer has confirmed roughly $905,000 in undisputed reimbursement, with discussions continuing over additional recoverable costs. R Dependable Construction won the restoration contract.