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News from the City of Carlsbad | June 18, 2026

The City Council adopted a balanced budget Tuesday for the fiscal year beginning July 1 that invests in wildfire mitigation and public safety, resumes the College Boulevard road extension analysis and funds the construction of Veterans Memorial Park.

In today’s update, I’ll share more about what’s included in the budget and preview our first TGIF Concert of the season this Friday at Stagecoach Community Park. Here’s the full lineup:

• City Council adopts balanced budget
• TGIF summer concerts kick off with country melodies
• Safety tips as summer arrives
• New fireworks law
• Carlsbad hosts regional traffic enforcement officers  
• New all-way stops proposed
• Community events and activities 
• What’s on the agenda for your next City Council meeting

City Council adopts balanced budget

Next fiscal year’s budget approved by the City Council Tuesday focuses on maintaining high levels of service for the community, completing major capital improvement projects and investing in public safety and core infrastructure – all while maintaining a AAA credit rating, healthy reserves and a balanced budget.

The $249.4 million adopted budget covers most day-to-day city services and includes a 2.9% increase over the previous fiscal year’s General Fund budget. Despite continued economic uncertainty driven by low consumer confidence, geopolitical tensions and lingering inflation, this marks the second consecutive year the city’s General Fund budget increase is lower than the regional inflation rate of 3.8%.

The adopted budget remains largely consistent with the preliminary fiscal year 2026-27 budget presented in May, with these two additions included:

Budget added for Wildfire Mitigation Plan – Phase 2

The City Council received the first phase of the Wildfire Mitigation Plan on June 9, 2026, and authorized $294,000 of additional appropriations to the fiscal year 2026-27 Operating Budget. This will support the development of Phase 2, the Community Wildfire Protection Plan, which includes program expansion, community education and outreach efforts.

Budget added to resume College Boulevard extension analysis

An additional $2.14 million from the city’s Capital Improvement Program budget was approved to resume the cost analysis to evaluate design options and estimate construction costs for a new segment of College Boulevard from Sunny Creek Road, just east of El Camino Real, to Cannon Road near Sage Creek High School.

Work on the project had been paused since 2022. The proposed segment, approximately three-quarters of a mile in length, is included in the city’s General Plan and is intended to help improve traffic flow in the surrounding area, particularly near El Camino Real and State Route 78, one of the city’s most congested corridors.

Once the analysis is complete, the results and design options will be presented to the City Council for consideration and direction on next steps.

Other key investments

The adopted budget allows the city to continue investing in projects and services that support the City Council’s 5-Year Strategic Plan goals. Highlights include:



• Fully funding the city’s new community-oriented policing and problem-solving team, known as the COPPS team, approved by the City Council on March 24, 2026.
• Continuing the multi-year effort begun last year to enhance fire emergency response by reclassifying an additional six EMTs to Paramedic Firefighters.
• Investing in core infrastructure, including the completion of the beach stairs replacement and sidewalk widening along Carlsbad Boulevard, El Camino Real road widening, analysis to increase on-street parking in the Barrio, and investments in the city’s Stormwater Program.
• Maintaining 7 day-a-week library services and hours that began mid-2025 with the return of Sunday library hours.
• Investing in sustainability through energy-efficient pedestrian lighting in the Village, additional electric vehicle charging stations and the continued replacement of city fleet vehicles with EV or hybrid models, bringing the total number of city vehicles that are EV or hybrid to 177.
• Supporting the reopening of the renovated Monroe Street Pool and construction of Veterans Memorial Park, which is expected to begin this summer. The 93.7-acre park site will honor veterans for their service and celebrate the area’s natural beauty and views while maintaining over half of the land as protected habitat.

You can learn more about the budget on the city’s website.

The budget also funds our annual TGIF summer concert series, speaking of which…

TGIF summer concerts kick off Friday with country melodies



Break out your line-dancing boots. Country band The Pistol Blonde kicks off this year’s summer TGIF Concerts in the Parks this Friday at Stagecoach Community Park.

Friday, June 19

Field opens at 4 p.m.

Concert starts at 6 p.m.

Stagecoach Community Park

3420 Camino de los Coches

If you’re planning to attend, keep this information in mind:

• The field opens at 4 p.m. and the concert starts at 6 p.m.
• There will be security checks at the entrances again this year.
• Pack a picnic (food and drink are not for sale), bring a low-back chair or blanket, sunscreen and bug spray.

Family-friendly activities for all ages are back this year before and during the concert:

• Line dancing lessons before the concert begins (5 to 5:45 p.m.)
• Craft paper horses (4:30 to 7:30 p.m.)

Getting there

• If you’re driving, free parking is available across the street at La Costa Canyon High School.
• Our free bike valet service is back.
• Consider carpooling or getting a ride from a friend or a rideshare service.

Can’t make it this week? You can view the full band lineup for all of this summer’s concerts on our website.

Safety tips as summer arrives

Summer officially starts Sunday, June 21, and it’s a busy season here in Carlsbad. Whether you’re biking, heading to the beach or celebrating with family and friends, a few simple precautions can help keep everyone safe.

E-bikes

Summertime means more people may be using e-bikes to get around or just enjoy the outdoors. The city’s new e-bike laws are now in effect, meaning people who break the new laws could receive citations.

You can find more information about the new laws on the city’s website, but here are a few important details:

• Anyone operating an e-bike must be at least 12 years old
• The Police Department can impound e-motorcycles, which are not street legal, and e-bikes when there is an immediate or substantial public safety risk. For a minor to retrieve an impounded e-bike, they must complete an in-person safety course and a parent or guardian must be present when the e-bike is released.
• E-bikes are prohibited at Poinsettia and Pine Avenue community parks.

Community members can now report and submit photos and videos of unsafe e-bike riding on a new city submission portal. Please note submissions are not monitored 24/7, so in an emergency please call 911 or if not an emergency, call 442-339-2197.

Beach safety

Carlsbad Lifeguards are seeing an extended stretch of above-average surf, large swells and stronger currents along our coastline. With warmer-than-normal water temperatures, more people are heading into the ocean, even as conditions remain more challenging than usual.

Ocean conditions can change quickly, even within the same day. Before entering the water, make sure to:

• Swim near an open lifeguard tower
• Expect stronger surf and currents
• Stay within your swimming abilities
• Check in with your nearest lifeguard about current ocean conditions and hazards

Daily water condition signs are posted at lifeguard towers. Take a moment to review them and talk with a lifeguard before heading into the water. A quick check-in can make all the difference.

Visit our beach safety webpage for tower locations and more beach safety information.

New fireworks law

Fireworks-related public safety calls tend to increase during the summer as people celebrate outdoors, especially around the Fourth of July holiday. To help reduce fire risks, injuries and neighborhood impacts, the City Council recently strengthened enforcement efforts by adopting a new fireworks ordinance that took effect May 14.

Although fireworks were already illegal in San Diego County, they continue to impact neighborhoods across Carlsbad. Over the past two years, the city has received approximately 130 fireworks-related calls for service. These incidents increase the risk of fires and injuries and place added demand on police and fire resources.

Under the new ordinance, the Carlsbad Police, Fire and Code Enforcement departments can work together to respond to complaints. Key elements include:

• Holding property owners and renters responsible for illegal fireworks used on or near their property, even if the fireworks are set off by guests or others at a gathering.
• Anyone in control of the property or organizing a gathering where illegal fireworks are used could be cited and fined. 
• Fines of $1,000 per violation, up to $10,000 per day for those cited.

These changes are designed to help improve public safety, reduce repeat violations and provide clearer, more effective enforcement tools. 

Remember, we are safer when we work together. 

Carlsbad hosts regional traffic enforcement officers  

Speaking of public safety, if you were out and about on Wednesday, June 10, you may have noticed a larger police presence on our streets, including officers from agencies across the county. That’s because it was Carlsbad’s turn to host CITE Day, which stands for Countywide Interagency Traffic Enforcement.

On CITE Day, officers from agencies across San Diego County assist the host city with traffic enforcement in areas that have high rates of collisions, traffic violations or community complaints.

Here’s a snapshot of how the enforcement effort worked in Carlsbad:

• Total citations: 325
• Vehicles towed: 4
• Arrests: 2
• E-bike/e-motorcycle citations: 9
• Sign and signal violations: 95
• Speed citations: 63 (including someone going 85 mph in a 50-mph zone)

Thank you to the San Diego Sheriff’s Office and the El Cajon, Escondido, La Mesa, National City, Oceanside and San Diego police departments for helping keep our streets safe.

New all-way stops proposed

The City Council is scheduled to discuss new proposed all-way stops at three locations citywide during its next meeting on Tuesday, June 23, at 5 p.m. Locations where new all-way stops are being considered are:

• Batiquitos Drive and Aviara Drive
• Camino De Los Coches and La Costa Avenue
• Tamarack Avenue and Sunnyhill Drive

After analyzing traffic volumes and patterns at these intersections, city staff are recommending the new all-way stops to help improve pedestrian access, make it easier for cars to turn onto busy streets and reduce speeding.

Tamarack Avenue and Sunnyhill Drive

In 2023, the city installed a raised crosswalk on Tamarack Avenue at Sunnyhill Drive to help address speeding concerns. Since then, we have continued to monitor the intersection and determined that a new all-way stop would make it easier for pedestrians to safely cross the street.

If an all-way stop is approved at this intersection, the existing raised crosswalk and flashing warning beacons would be removed and new high-visibility crosswalks would be installed on all four edges of the intersection.

How to participate

• Attend the meeting in person and provide a public comment
• Email comments to clerk@carlsbadca.gov by 2 p.m. on Tuesday, June 23
• Watch the livestream on the city’s website

City Council Meeting

Tuesday, June 23, 5 p.m.

City Council Chamber

1200 Carlsbad Village Drive

Community events and activities

Here are some more activities and events happening soon at our city libraries, community centers and the Carlsbad Senior Center:

• Creative Crafting: Red, White & Blue Stars – Friday, June 19, 1 to 3 p.m., Carlsbad Senior Center
• Cinema Club Friday: "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote" – Friday, June 19, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., Dove Library
• Genealogy Open House – Saturday, June 20, 10:30 to noon, Cole Library
• Reel Wednesday: "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story" – Wednesday, June 24, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., Dove Library
• Open Studios: light – Saturday, June 27, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Dove Library

What’s on the agenda for your next City Council meeting

The next City Council meeting will be on Tuesday, June 23, starting at 5 p.m. in the City Council Chamber. Topics include: 



• Monthly update on how the city’s investments are performing 
• A worker’s compensation settlement 
• A donation to the library from the Carlsbad Library & Arts Foundation 
• Acquisition and resale of 2674 Leighton Circle as part of the Affordable Housing Resale Program
• An update on the city’s efforts to reduce homelessness in Carlsbad 
• Authorizing an additional naming sign for Thorp Field at Poinsettia Community Park
• A traffic calming plan for Unicornio Street 
• Updating the funding allocations between sewer, water and recycled water funds for a project to replace electrical control panels citywide to reflect actual costs
• Appointing one member to the Library Board of Trustees 
• Establish all-way stop control at the intersection of Tamarack Avenue and Sunnyhill Drive
• Establish all-way stop control at the intersection of La Costa Avenue and Camino de los Coches and at the intersection of Batiquitos Drive and Aviara Drive 
• A public hearing on the TransNet Local Street Improvement Program of Projects for fiscal years 2026-27 through 2030-31 
• An update from the Carlsbad representatives serving on the County of San Diego Palomar Airport Advisory Committee 
• An informational report on the regulation of offshore and onshore oil drilling facilities

The agenda and staff reports are available on the city’s website.

3 easy ways to participate

1. Sign up to get agendas and staff reports emailed to you directly
2. Provide feedback via email to clerk@carlsbadca.gov by 2 p.m. the day of the meeting 
3. Sign up to speak at the meeting

… and 3 ways to watch

1. Follow the meeting live on the city's website 
2. Watch the meeting live on the city’s cable channel: Spectrum channel 24 or AT&T U-verse channel 99
3. Watch a recording of the meeting afterward (online or on our channel) 

The city’s Senior Commission is also scheduled to meet next week. Board and commission meetings are livestreamed on the city’s website and available to watch afterward. See the full meeting schedule on our city calendar.

Before I sign off, I want to wish a very Happy Father’s Day to all the dads, grandpas and father figures who live and work in Carlsbad. Enjoy the day!

Geoff Patnoe

City Manager