budget

Herbert Milano urged the council to prioritize infrastructure investment over employee compensation and pensions, pointing to decades of depreciating assets and mounting CalPERS pension liabilities.

Criticized police and fire overtime spending and urged an internal audit before considering any sales tax increases.

Criticized council statements regarding the general fund, sales tax, and the handling of the budget crisis.

Inquired about staff responsiveness and asked whether households currently holding Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHVs) qualify for direct assistance under the GRASP program.

Urged the Council not to close the library, highlighting its importance for children's activities and community programs.

Urged the Council to prioritize bridge funding and housing voucher support within the city budget.

Urged the council to take action to prevent elderly residents from becoming unhoused and praised council autonomy in funding local needs.

Stated she is an EHV recipient facing voucher expiration and asked the council to allocate Measure A funds to provide rental assistance for all 188 affected households.

Called for expanded housing budget allocations to support all emergency housing voucher recipients rather than only a small fraction.

Asked the Council to keep the library open, emphasizing the value of books and community reading programs.

Criticized the council for not enacting a comprehensive TOD alternative plan and raised concerns about rent control definitions and budget cuts.

Thanked first responders and urged the Council to find alternative solutions to avoid closing neighborhood libraries.

Emphasized the high usage and importance of the Adams Square branch library for densely populated South Glendale residents.

Expressed community desire to save local library spaces like Adams Square and suggested renting spaces to generate revenue.

Returned during oral communications to question city zoning policies, upcoming projects, and campaign platform items.

Proposed hiring an independent philosopher of science or ethics officer to evaluate logical fallacies and biases in council discussions.

Expressed frustration over special interest influence, questioned the legal consequences of rejecting the budget, asked why budget planning starts late in May, and claimed the budget relies on deferred maintenance.

Criticized across-the-board 5% department cuts as lazy budgeting, urged professional forensic review of spending, and emphasized the importance of libraries for children and seniors.

Argued that police and fire department cost increases consume nearly all property and sales tax revenue growth, warned against unsustainable debt and unfunded pension liabilities, and called for more internal auditors.

Criticized city outreach on zoning changes and raised concerns over municipal financial reporting.

Raised questions about city debt, budgeting, electrical fund reserves, and union campaign contributions.

Criticized the city's audit committee structure and called for an independent audit commission.

Suggested increasing the audit budget to $1 million and expanding staffing to six positions to address contract compliance, payroll, and overtime audits.

Expressed agreement with council members regarding the need to closely scrutinize budget priorities, questioned the proposed approach to internal audit functions, and emphasized the importance of balancing fiscal constraints with community needs.

Objected to the Montrose parking meter ordinance and criticized city spending on consultants versus infrastructure.

Highlighted deferred maintenance backlogs, urged better financial reporting, and questioned infrastructure spending.

Addressed electrical rate increases and the Grayson power plant repowering project.

Expressed critical views on state officials and government spending.

Criticized past city financing for the Americana at Brand and questioned the mayoral transition.

Spoke during the public hearing regarding the downtown association's report and budget.

Criticized spending city funds on playground fencing when accessible parks already exist nearby and urgent housing issues need funding.

The Montrose Shopping Park board president spoke about crosswalk safety, worn-out red paint, crumbling stucco walls, EV chargers, and new community events.

The Montrose Shopping Park business administrator and events coordinator presented the 2026 budget, highlighting iconic events, beautification needs, trash receptacles, and pedestrian safety at crosswalks.

Highlighted severe deficiencies in Glendale road maintenance and potholes, urging the council to audit police and fire overtime costs before raising taxes.

Criticized national immigration policies, city spending, and supported Alan Durham's opposition to digital billboards.

Asked the council to draft a resolution supporting democracy in Iran and criticized the financial assumptions in the budget forecast.