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Isla Vista, CA — On August 12, 2025, the Isla Vista Community Services District (IVCSD) Board unanimously approved its $1.95 million budget for the 2025–26 fiscal year. The budget reflects a continued commitment to high-quality public services, strong fiscal health, and alignment with community priorities identified through surveys, focus groups, and public meetings.
Revenues for the year are projected at $1,946,650, with the District’s primary funding source, the Utility User’s Tax, expected to generate $1.53 million, a 7.14% increase over last year. Additional funding includes $200,000 from a renewed seven-year agreement with UC Santa Barbara for public safety programs, $30,000 from community space rentals, $10,000 from sponsorships and sales, and $130,550 in strategic draws from fund balances to maintain operations.
Expenditures for 2025–26 total $1,945,650, distributed across the District’s core program areas:
- Operations – 34% of the budget, supporting staffing, administration, and governance.
- Community Programs & Engagement – 33%, including the Isla Vista Community Center, community festivals, gardens, and outreach.
- Public Works & Sustainability – 26.5%, encompassing Isla Vista Beautiful, composting, infrastructure, and graffiti abatement.
- Public Safety – 5.5%, primarily for Safety Stations staffed by unarmed UCPD community service officers.
- Housing – just under 1%, with growing utilization of the Rental Housing Mediation Program.
Key changes in this year’s budget include the shift of the Compost Collective into the Public Works & Sustainability Department, the conclusion of the Interpersonal Violence Investigator program (with continued survivor support services through the Survivor Resource Center), and the first implementation of a Zero-Based Budgeting process, building each department’s budget from the ground up to directly align with community priorities.
Community input shaped the budget through the Budget Priorities Survey with 100 responses, targeted focus groups with students and long-term residents, and open Finance Committee and Board meetings. Feedback emphasized priorities in transportation, infrastructure, safety, and cleanliness, aligning with ongoing efforts such as the Isla Vista Mobility Plan, parking program development, expanded lighting, and enhanced community safety initiatives.
“This budget invests strategically in programs that improve the quality of life for everyone in Isla Vista while maintaining a strong financial position for the future,” said Spencer Brandt, IVCSD Board President. “By listening to residents and applying a disciplined budgeting process, we are delivering services that meet today’s needs. As residents express increasing expectations for enhanced transportation, infrastructure, and safety services, we will need to explore additional revenue sources to ensure we can sustainably meet these emerging priorities.”
