Sacramento council restores some youth violence prevention programs, pool funds
The Sacramento City Council restored funding to a youth violence prevention grant and vowed to keep pools open after residents denounced cutting services to plug a $66 million budget deficit.
A unanimous vote allocated $1.3 million for the gang prevention and intervention taskforce grant; $100,000 for four wading pools proposed to shutter; and $500,000 for ten neighborhood pools to stay functioning five days a week.
The revived $1.3 million helps families and children at-risk for gang violence through education, training, and employment programs. But a separate $800,000 grant — providing around-the-clock response to “critical incidents” — remained in limbo.
Councilmember Lisa Kaplan noted the city relied heavily on these services to help bring Sacramento’s violence to record lows. Communities are not safe without the work done in the $800,000 grant, said Paris Dye, the executive director of youth organization Impact Sac.
“The city should be proud of the work that we’re doing instead of making us come back and beg for funds,” Dye said.
To pay for the funding restorations, the City Council approved cutting vacant parking enforcement officer positions, on the same day officials authorized hiking parking violation fines. Some money related to homelessness planned for 2028 was reallocated to this year.
Nonprofits like Brother to Brother Mentoring and Helping our People Eat, which directly intervene with incidents of youth gun violence on the street, each face a $225,000 loss of funding.
A dozen teenage members of Impact Sac waited nearly four hours Tuesday night to thank the council for listening to their advocacy and saving the program.
“There’s kids out there that do things because they don’t have a way to express themselves in a way that they need,” said Ayriana Saechao, 16. “So they end up fighting or doing drugs … And honestly I think that funding these programs is an amazing way to keep this generation from deteriorating.”
Job cuts loom
City Hall for two consecutive years folded vacancies and hiked fees to help to bridge a shortfall. The repeated cost-saving measures left little room this year for cuts, and the prospect of layoffs has loomed for many city employees.
City Manager Maraskeshia Smith has proposed layoffs or demotions for park maintenance workers, who union officials say are among the lowest paid employees. Nearly 100 job vacancies could also close.
Twenty-six park maintenance workers could still be handed a pink slip or move into another vacant role, though the council earlier intervened to reduce how many people could be cut.
“Some are new parents,” said Councilmember Lisa Kaplan, who sought to save their jobs. “Some have been with the city for a very long time.”
Some council members implored city staff to find funding for a program called summer at City Hall. One hundred high school students for six weeks learn about their local government for school credit and a $500 stipend.
Sacramento’s budget woes stem from revenues outpacing expenses. The budget is pressured by increased homelessness spending, higher labor costs, inflation and retirement liabilities, Finance Director Pete Coletto has said.
This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 6:00 AM.
