City Council Cuts Budget Engagement Commission in Half to Fix Quorum Problems

The City Council unanimously approved reducing the Budget Engagement Commission from 18 to 9 members Tuesday, addressing persistent meeting cancellations that have crippled the advisory body's effectiveness.

The commission, which advises the city on budget matters and gathers community input on financial decisions, has struggled with attendance for years. Commission member Pete Benavidez told council that eight of nine meetings were canceled over a 24-month period due to lack of quorum.

"The only thing that's been frustrating over the past 18 plus months was cancellations of our meeting due to lack of quorum," Benavidez said during public comment.

The Governmental Affairs Committee, comprising Mayor Pro Tem Chuck Conder, Councilmember Philip Falcone and committee member Jim Perry, recommended the reduction after studying the problem.

Benavidez thanked the committee for taking action, saying the smaller size "will assist and help with increasing the probability of our meetings."

The council approved the change as part of the consent calendar without discussion. The reduction takes effect immediately.

Many cities struggle with volunteer boards and commissions where members juggle civic duties with work and family commitments. By cutting the commission in half, the city hopes to create a more manageable group that can meet regularly and provide meaningful budget oversight.

The city has not announced how it will handle the transition or whether current members must reapply for the nine available positions.