Fresno City Council file photo

Fresno Mayor Lee Brand announced Tuesday a proposal for a continuing resolution budget that would “roll over” appropriations for fiscal 2020 into the first quarter of fiscal 2021.

The unusual proposal would serve as “a bridge that would allow the City of Fresno to continue to provide essential services to the community and pay its employees until the fiscal picture becomes clearer,” according to a news release from the mayor.

Brand will submit official documents requesting the continuing resolution to the Fresno City Council for review and approval by the end of the city’s fiscal year June 30.

It is the first time in the 23 years of Fresno’s strong-mayor form of government that a continuing resolution has been used for the budget, according to the release.

“The decision to propose a continuing resolution was not an easy one and was taken with a great deal of thought and consideration, with the overriding concern to minimize the impacts of this crisis on the critical services the City provides to our residents and our employees,” said Mayor Brand. “I believe this is the correct path to ensure the City of Fresno can fulfill its responsibilities, and I firmly believe that as a community we have demonstrated that we have the courage and dedication to weather this storm and emerge a better and safer city.”

The impact of Covid-19 to the city’s operational funds make it impossible to estimate revenues for the next fiscal year, according to the release.

The mayor anticipates retiring to the city council in the fall for a budget revision.

The Administration has already taken steps to mitigate the potential impact of the pandemic on City of Fresno revenues, including hiring restrictions, alternate funding sources for capital projects, and restricting all operational expenses except those that are most necessary to maintain core services or health and safety related.