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News from the City of Carlsbad | May 15, 2025

The start of the 2025 TGIF Concerts in the Parks season is a little more than a month away. Today I’m sharing the details on the band lineup for each of the nine concerts, along with a preview of the city’s fiscal year 2025-26 budget. Here’s this week’s full rundown:  

• Preliminary budget now available for review
• TGIF bands announced for this summer
• App puts city services at your fingertips
• Plan ahead to avoid traffic delays
• Upcoming community events and activities
• Apply to serve on a city commission
• What’s on the agenda for your next City Council meeting
• Library Sunday hours return this weekend

Preliminary budget now available for review

The City of Carlsbad’s proposed budget for next fiscal year invests in the community’s highest priorities, sets aside money for future infrastructure needs and grows the city’s cash reserves – all while projecting a balanced budget through fiscal year 2031.

While economic uncertainty remains due to factors like low consumer confidence, tariffs and the potential for rising inflation, the city remains financially healthy today with a AAA credit rating, strong reserves and among the lowest pension debts in the region.

The preliminary budget for fiscal year 2025-26 is now available for review and will be presented to the City Council at its May 20 meeting. A community budget workshop will follow on May 22 to provide community members with an opportunity to learn more and ask questions.

What’s in the budget?

The proposed $242.8 million spending plan covers most day-to-day city services and includes a 1.8% increase, or $4 million over last year’s General Fund budget. This increase remains well below the regional inflation rate of 3.8%.

The proposed spending plan would also increase the city’s General Fund reserve level beyond the required 40% to 61%, or $147 million. Last year’s budget reserve level was 55%.

The proposed fiscal year 2025-26 spending plan allows the city to continue investing in projects and services that support the City Council’s 5-Year Strategic Plan goals.

Key investments proposed include:

Public safety

• Increasing Fire Department service capacity through the purchase of a new aerial ladder fire truck projected to cost $2.6 million
• Reclassifying six EMTs to paramedic firefighters in a multi-year effort to enhance emergency response

Sustainability

• Advancing initiatives in the City Council’s adopted Climate Action Plan to meet council-directed sustainability goals, including switching all of the energy used to power city government buildings, facilities and operations to the Clean Energy Alliance’s 100% renewable energy option
• Accelerate the replacement of the city’s combustion engine fleet with the purchase of 14 electric and 15 hybrid vehicles

Community character & connection

• Construction of Veterans Memorial Park, which is expected to begin late this year. The 93.7-acre site will honor veterans for their service and celebrate the site’s natural beauty and views. It will feature family-oriented amenities, and minimize environmental impacts by maintaining over half of the land as protected habitat 
• Expanded support of program offerings and services at the newly upgraded Schulman Auditorium at the Dove Library

Continuing mid-year commitments

The proposed budget also incorporates continued funding to support initiatives approved by the City Council earlier this year as part of the mid-year budget:

• Continued funding for fire mitigation and preparedness efforts by an additional $550,000 for brush and vegetation management across the city’s 6,500 acres of preserves and hazard reduction within the city-owned urban forests such as Hosp Grove
• Six positions in the Police Department to improve response times, assist with traffic mitigation particularly for special events, enhance digital forensics services and assist in resolving internet crimes against children
• Maintain the return of Sunday hours at the city’s Georgina Cole Library and Carlsbad City Library on Dove Lane, which begin May 18

The city operates on a fiscal year that goes from July 1 to June 30. The final city budget will be presented for City Council approval during a public hearing June 17.

TGIF bands announced for this summer

This year’s TGIF Concerts in the Parks lineup will feature nine concerts with a wide range of musical styles including country, rock, pop, funk, R&B, Cumbia (a type of Latin American dance music), Americana and doo-wop.

Here’s the full lineup for the 2025 season:

Stagecoach Community Park 

• June 20, The Highwayman Show (vintage country)
• June 27, Full Strength (Top 40, funk and dance)
• July 11, The Reflexx (80s pop and new wave)
• July 18, The Cold Fact (soulful R&B)

Calavera Hills Community Park 

• July 25, Kimba Light (Cumbia)
• Aug. 1, Shakedown String Band (Americana/jam band)
• Aug. 8, The Honeydrops (doo-wop, rockabilly from the 40s to the 60s)     

Alga Norte Community Park 

• Aug. 15, Wayward Sons (power chord rock nostalgia)
• Aug. 22, Euphoria Brass Band (modern New Orleans-style jazz)

The gates open at 4 p.m. with concerts from 6 to 8 p.m.  

Learn more about what to expect at this year’s concerts, including details on security screenings and tips for getting to the concerts. 

App puts city services at your fingertips

I want to make sure you know about our CarlsbadConnects app, which makes it easy to let us know if you see something around town that needs attention — whether it’s a cracked sidewalk, broken traffic signal or code enforcement concern (among many others).

• CarlsbadConnects is free and available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
• Submit service requests anonymously or create a free account where you can track progress and see what other community members have reported.
• If you need to report emergencies like a water main break, don’t use the app and call us instead.
• The same applies if you need service for something that's not in the app or would prefer to call or email city staff. Please see our list of contact information.

Here are some quick tips and a video to help you get started.  

The app helps the city deliver on the “brilliant at the basics” concept in the City Council’s 5-Year Strategic Plan. That includes providing excellent city services that keep our community in great shape.

Plan ahead to avoid traffic delays

Before you head out for work or play next week, don’t forget to check our weekly construction map to see where city projects are happening that may impact traffic.

Checking the map allows you to plan ahead and take an alternate route, saving you time and helping to keep traffic flowing safely through construction zones. Remember, the map only shows city projects, not work being done by utilities or private companies.

Upcoming community events and activities

Here are some City of Carlsbad events and activities coming up soon at our libraries, community centers and the Carlsbad Senior Center.

• Creative Crafting: Newspaper flowers (adults 50+) – Friday, May 16, 1 to 3 p.m., Carlsbad Senior Center
• Cinema Club, “Nam June Paik: Moon is the Oldest TV" – Friday, May 16, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., Dove Library
• Creative Cultural Arts Festival – Saturday, May 17, noon to 2 p.m., Library Learning Center
• Reel Wednesday, “Whale Rider" – Wednesday, May 21, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., Dove Library

Find more activities and information in our city calendar, the Senior Center’s Seaside Insider newsletter and our Spring Community Services Guide.

Apply to serve on a city commission

If you’re interested in getting involved and making a difference in our community, we have vacancies on two city commissions.

Beach Preservation Commission

This commission advises the City Council on issues related to beach nourishment and shoreline preservation. The City Council recently approved changing the commission to the Environmental Sustainability Commission and expanding its focus to include natural resources, open space, climate adaptation and environmental sustainability. The change will take place in August, and commissioners will have the option to continue to serve on the new Environmental Sustainability Commission.

Two vacancies

Meetings: First Thursday of each even-numbered month, 3 p.m.

Deadline to apply: June 3 at noon

Library Board of Trustees

This commission advises the City Council on anything related to the operation of the city’s library system.

Two vacancies

Meetings: First Thursday of every other month, 5:30 p.m.

Deadline to apply: June 3 at noon

Applicants must be Carlsbad residents who are registered to vote in the city. You can apply online or pick up an application in the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall, 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive. 

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

The next City Council meeting will take place Tuesday, May 20, starting at 5 p.m. in the City Council Chamber. Topics include: 

• An agreement to provide protective clothing for the city’s firefighters 
• A sponsorship agreement for this year’s TGIF Concerts in the Parks 
• Possible changes in the city’s zoning regulations to provide property owners with benefits and incentives for historic preservation efforts 
• A proposed historic plaques program to commemorate Carlsbad’s historic properties, sites and heritage trees 
• Authorizing bidding for a project to replace electrical control panels at water and wastewater facilities 
• Authorizing bidding for the city’s annual concrete repair program. The program repairs sidewalks, curbs and gutters on streets throughout Carlsbad.
• Adopting ordinances to approve the California Coastal Commission’s suggested modifications to the city’s objective design standards so that they can be applied in the Coastal Zone
• Continuing the declaration of an emergency to make swift repairs to a damaged drainage channel west of the intersection of El Camino Real and Kelly Drive
• A public hearing to dissolve the Carlsbad Golf Lodging Business Improvement District now that its work has been taken on by the Carlsbad Tourism Business Improvement District 
• The preliminary fiscal year 2025-26 city budget 

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 before 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)

Board and commission meetings are also livestreamed on the city’s website and available to watch afterward. You can see the meeting schedule on our city calendar.

Library Sunday hours return this weekend

As you’re making your weekend plans, don’t forget that Sunday hours resume this weekend at the Georgina Cole Library and the Carlsbad City Library on Dove Lane, along with the William D. Cannon Art Gallery. They’ll be open from 1 to 5 p.m. 

We’re thrilled to welcome you to our libraries again on Sundays. Enjoy and have a great weekend.



Geoff Patnoe

City Manager