Budget and Finances

The City of Cerritos upholds a longstanding commitment to fiscal prudence and carefully crafts a budget to ensure financial stability and strategic investment in the City's future. The City is focused on evaluating and setting new priorities to a align with the community's immediate needs and long-term aspirations.

The City’s Strategic Plan includes eight overarching goals. Goal 6 is Focus on Fiscal Transparency and Sustainability. The purpose of this goal is to strengthen public trust and responsibly manage resources by ensuring transparent financial practices, meeting all legal obligations, and making well-informed decisions that support long-term fiscal sustainability.

Goal 6 objectives are as follows:

Review and assess Citywide fiscal policies:
- Establish a reserve policy by fund type, defining minimum and target levels, with automatic actions triggered when reserves fall below or exceed these thresholds.
- Establish a cost recovery policy by function, prioritizing enterprise funds.
- Establish a policy of target funding levels for unfunded pension liabilities.
Conduct a comprehensive fee analysis of all City programs with third-party consultant.
Conduct a comprehensive budget review process and transition toward fund-based budgeting.

Learn more about the City’s Strategic Plan at cerritos.gov/strategy.

Citizens are encouraged to participate in the budget process by making their views known at a pre-budget meeting held in June. Budget adoption typically occurs in June.