Lake Forest Budget Balanced, Adds New Deputy

The City of Lake Forest is adding a new patrol deputy to its ranks for the 2025-26 fiscal year, increasing the number of patrol deputies to 47.

The additional deputy is part of a two-year, balanced budget adopted in June. The total projected revenue is $85.2 million for FY 2025-26 and $85 million for FY 2026-27.

The total operating expenditures are budgeted at $94.3 million for FY 2025-26 and $86.3 million for FY 2026-27. Although expenditures appear to outpace revenues, the budgets are balanced because expenditures include funds accumulated for infrastructure projects.

The City anticipates increases in property and sales tax revenues and projects the 2025-26 operating budget will generate a surplus of $4.8 million, while the 2026-27 budget will generate a surplus of $4.4 million.

Lake Forest remains one of the largest debt-free cities in California.

The City Council is also considering the addition of a second new deputy in the 2026-27 fiscal year, pending future budget approval. The 2025-26 contract with the Sheriff’s Department is $22,738,891, which represents a 6.45 percent increase -- about $1.37 million -- over last year’s law enforcement budget. Much of the increase is driven by labor costs and the hiring of the new deputy.

Since becoming a city in 1991, Lake Forest has contracted with OCSD for law enforcement, a model used throughout South County that provides cost efficiency and access to specialized regional policing units such as air support, SWAT, and highly trained traffic accident investigators.