[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6577552,"mediaKeyId","3116855-7b028bb8db04a3e5329fed12cb55892f","parentId",3116855,"title","Measure N framed as 10-year one-time stabilization; staff plans glide path to reduce reliance","audioSeconds",162,"startMs",3566000,"endMs",3728000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3116855-7b028bb8db04a3e5329fed12cb55892f&start=3566&end=3728","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3116855-7b028bb8db04a3e5329fed12cb55892f/thumbnail_3566000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6577552/San-Ramon-City/Contra-Costa-County/California/Measure-N-framed-as-10-year-one-time-stabilization-staff-plans-glide-path-to-reduce-reliance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6577552-b5b6fbb8ad5122e77b295e84f32a4406/orig.mp4?Expires=1770698240&Signature=NQefvM~nAx3stU3ZWqWkDYQz0Z2o73dYY4gL3lHZN~igUajUjfv83UAm1TiiTlT7gRmgwefVQMKp5ehXGgLAV5eyKOHAY4OsCcEV8gO3dS-6Ke7S1rWEALhSJqgti8qwk2cPaYEij7J3t9cB8prtT3R2Kjdqhyyjw8-NZ~IP49Mr9WSR2x~7lK85YMg8jEp~kuRMlA1FoQqDpmFp6JyHStuDz00ugyt67gM34So58bM1TuEdZAjh5irn63OTTuN6j2HfeX02IpnzrEin3C6-0tLsrZqjFAcf12zBTtaB2~Px7g6eXFavnkgSBbZea0H2banM4bx68SKq1A6VrC0x2g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-04-25T01:56:59.24Z","article","City staff told the council that Measure N, the 1% transactions-and-use tax voters approved Nov. 5, 2024, will provide a limited, 10-year source of one-time funds that the city plans to use to stabilize operations while it pursues ongoing revenue and expenditure solutions.

“Measure N effectively provides a 1 time source of funds with which to balance our budget over the next 10 years,” Jennifer Wakeman, finance staff member, told the council during the workshop. Wakeman said the tax became effective April 1, 2025 and raised the local sales tax rate to 9.75%.

Revenue forecast changes and reporting cadence
Wakeman said the finance department’s sales-tax consultant revised the Measure N revenue estimate: in August 2023 the consultant projected $15,700,000; in February 2025 the estimate was revised to $14,800,000, a decline of $900,000 (about 5.7%). Staff explained the downward revision resulted from final FY24 sales-tax audit numbers and subsequent conservative modeling. Wakeman also explained that sales-tax data from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) are published with a lag—typically a quarter behind—so the city receives updated figures about once every quarter.

Policy framing and timeline
Wakeman said the city intends to treat Measure N proceeds as one-time funding each year while pursuing permanent solutions to balance ongoing revenues and expenditures. She said the objective is to reduce the annual amount of Measure N applied to the operating budget over time and to use the measure to create breathing room for a multi-year plan to reach fiscal sustainability. The presentation highlighted a seven-year checkpoint: by year seven the council will need to evaluate whether progress toward ongoing balance is sufficient or whether a renewal or other policy choice is required.

Council discussion
Councilmembers asked about the city’s options for reducing reliance on Measure N, the role of grants, and whether an ongoing grants coordinator position should be pursued; staff said a centralized grants position had been proposed but removed from the current budget because of the shortfall and that it could be reconsidered at midyear or next budget year. Councilmembers emphasized the need for ongoing monitoring of sales-tax receipts and frequent updates to the modeling.

No formal votes were taken. Staff said a full numerical budget and a draft spending plan for Measure N would be presented at the May 13 council meeting for further council direction.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Budget Workshop #2 - 4/22/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Staff told the council Measure N, the 1% transactions-and-use tax approved Nov. 5, 2024, will be used as a time-limited stabilization source; staff projects $14.8 million for FY26 in the most recent estimate and plans to reduce reliance over the 10-year term.","taxTitle","San Ramon City, Contra Costa County, California","taxId",4548,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6577559,"San Ramon details capital projects, infrastructure maintenance transfers and Dougherty Valley subsidy",2351,1249000,3600000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3116855-7b028bb8db04a3e5329fed12cb55892f&start=1249&end=3600","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3116855-7b028bb8db04a3e5329fed12cb55892f/thumbnail_1249000.jpg","/articles/6577559/San-Ramon-City/Contra-Costa-County/California/San-Ramon-details-capital-projects-infrastructure-maintenance-transfers-and-Dougherty-Valley-subsidy","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6577559-2c26e65428ac34153a00693d0c4a5119/orig.mp4?Expires=1770698240&Signature=fzOa-lPVq5djED82w5agaVJwPNORExVd~Vbv3uht96Ab5hORLIDXLDJNZzgajglTr0XviCAFdQzF~JDfkpLzw~ErCEotpD8A-qA9v~PhWJsv-XXrEcHmkStlbsOxtM5ExpkyKooalS6ZIOOWY7aiMyaiw4XUPqnAxgSvwApjMkDmvIH8brudefHY-qnC-zmHg~CanvD2VVxFnBnQaaFflvVdoKTceLX3amDalLnAPQ7D9j8hjvyt5iTKlGKM50R6SxuwoQ~isZa13J3TTbrzeabJcnJOStGcFDy-lXSQ9dwiDcWqbPUijllQZBkmeJJ3JRDMFbKpKm1MA2I8IGfXvA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff reviewed capital program spending and General Fund transfers that will affect the FY26 budget, explaining which projects are expected to be paid from city funds and which use dedicated funding sources.

Jennifer Wakeman, finance staff member, summarized the largest transfers out of the General Fund: a $4,100,000 operational subsidy to the Dougherty Valley Fund, a debt-service/COP-related payment category (the presentation cited a roughly $1.6 million COP payment and an outstanding COP balance of about $22 million maturing in June 2039), and a proposed $1,400,000 in capital improvement and infrastructure maintenance transfers. Wakeman told the council the General Fund will also post a one-time credit for seed money returned from the CIP fund, producing a net FY26 transfer out to the CIP of about $558,000.

Wakeman listed Dougherty Valley Fund projects budgeted for FY26 totaling $146,850, including a tree-management program, street-fence replacement, streetlight improvements and a radar speed display sign. She said the street-fence item carries $50,000 this year and that staff are prioritizing safety-related fence repairs in Dougherty Valley courts and cul-de-sacs.

Other CIP and infrastructure items highlighted
- Infrastructure maintenance fund: Staff proposed a transfer of about $891,000 to the infrastructure maintenance fund for city facilities, roofs, exterior and interior amenities, Olympic pool equipment replacement and other citywide emergency repairs. Staff described that fund as historically seeded from General Fund transfers and said past transfers ranged from about $700,000 to $1.5 million in stronger fiscal years.
- Police portable radios and substation: The portable radio replacement appeared as a new CIP item in FY26. The police chief (unnamed in the transcript) explained the department’s handheld radios are beyond the manufacturer’s service life and that software and interoperability requirements make replacement time-sensitive. The presentation also noted relocation of a police substation into an Airstream unit near City Center and a phased permit center renovation that may add another $500,000 in a future phase.
- Debt service and COP: Staff said a certificate of participation (COP) remains outstanding and that the annual COP payment is a regular debt-service obligation built into transfers out.

Why it matters: the CIP and infrastructure maintenance transfers determine what the General Fund must set aside for capital upkeep and one-time projects; staff said some projects use other funding streams (grants, developer impact fees) while maintenance often falls to General Fund sources.

Council and staff questions
Council asked about the long-term plan for fences and whether recycled-water spray was contributing to corrosion; staff described a shift toward bubblers and different materials to reduce ongoing corrosion. Council also probed whether stormwater, NPDES-related costs could increase the General Fund commitment (see separate item on NPDES). Several councilmembers said they want clearer, itemized capital project tables when the full FY26 budget returns in May.

No votes were taken; staff will return with a full CIP report and more detailed project-level funding information at the May 13 meeting.","City staff reviewed capital program spending and General Fund transfers that will affect the FY26 budget, highlighting Dougherty Valley projects, a net $558,000 transfer to the CIP and an $891,000 transfer to the infrastructure maintenance fund.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6577564,"San Ramon finance staff presents FY26 General Fund baseline: $71.5 million projected, 4% potential savings factor proposed",5456,82000,5538000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3116855-7b028bb8db04a3e5329fed12cb55892f&start=82&end=5538","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3116855-7b028bb8db04a3e5329fed12cb55892f/thumbnail_82000.jpg","/articles/6577564/San-Ramon-City/Contra-Costa-County/California/San-Ramon-finance-staff-presents-FY26-General-Fund-baseline-715-million-projected-4-potential-savings-factor-proposed","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6577564-ac7cae5010f773caa6049814826ba4cb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770698240&Signature=nBem6lblifnO-6LodtjFQTjpUY2Ohya8VjxnnlECYfa2WUGvZtd~sfFQjj-phj3yJMgYxxXsRf1LfRP60KY4G42gsBe4SGhMLiqBvTy6O79ysIlBnNyF3VrMPx-LCO5KlkIZb8GHaRXIceBgjUHJPnYieGhlbd2m7l0FmRUPH1Z6tte5Yd7WuSgHJ9sxsT7izxjV1vX7yz4hbtje6bl5CoJ36KfojqKOxOwXQmGBK26bfhqqxSLS8mzchvnJBC~YthuIaT0BopPXvYnhdeC7P~fz-8LTQ3WrBB4br4i5d7u81HDesMvUkHvfKeDRIlAMPa~rz94Fjz8RdeuU5ZK~Ag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Finance staff laid out a fiscal year 2026 General Fund baseline Thursday, saying projected expenditures total about $71,500,000 and that the draft budget is intended to be a status-quo starting point while the city builds a multiyear plan.

Jennifer Wakeman, finance staff member and presenter, told the council the FY26 General Fund projection represents about a 10% increase from the FY25 midyear budget and asked councilmembers what additional details they want for the May 13 budget hearing. “At this point, our fiscal year 26 General Fund projected expenditures are $71,500,000,” Wakeman said during the workshop.

Wakeman said the presentation separates expenditure adjustments into three categories: nondiscretionary costs (items the city must pay because of contracts, benefits or service obligations), discretionary costs (optional program enhancements or equipment), and a proposed potential savings factor intended to reduce the historical gap between budgeted and actual expenditures. The department-level breakdown places the largest shares with Police Services, Public Works, and Parks and Community Services.

Why it matters: the three-category framework is intended to make clearer which expenditures the council can influence through policy and which are built-in obligations. Wakeman said the potential savings factor is a conservative estimate—roughly 4% or about $2.2 million—derived from analyzing salary-and-benefit assumptions that count every position as staffed for a full year even though vacancies occur.

Details and supporting context
- Police Services: Wakeman said Police Services comprises about $23,200,000 of the FY26 General Fund proposed expenditures, or roughly 32% of the total. That figure is a 12% increase from FY25 midyear; she reported $2.9 million of that increase as nondiscretionary and $426,000 as discretionary, with a potential-savings offset of about $778,000. The discretionary request includes two Police Services Technician II positions and a Records Supervisor position; Wakeman said those three positions are split with the Dougherty Valley Fund and that equipment and supplies for the new positions are included in the request.
- Public Works: Projected at about $19,300,000 for FY26, Public Works is roughly a 3% increase from FY25 midyear. Wakeman identified approximately $1.1 million in nondiscretionary increases, $62,000 in discretionary costs and about $525,000 attributed to potential savings.
- Parks and Community Services: Projected at $10,400,000, a cited 16% increase from FY25 midyear. Wakeman said roughly $1.7 million of that is nondiscretionary, $9,000 discretionary and $342,000 in potential savings; discretionary requests include restoration of “dive-in” movies and modest supply and contract increases.

Wakeman explained that much of the apparent growth for police and parks compared with the FY25 midyear budget stems not from new operations but from an accounting change: pension costs that had been offset through a PARS trust transfer in FY25 were removed from the General Fund and are being reintegrated in FY26, which inflates the year-over-year percentage change for some departments.

Council engagement and next steps
Councilmembers asked clarifying questions about how the potential savings factor was calculated, whether the discretionary requests were time-limited, and how accounting treatments altered department-level variances. Wakeman asked councilmembers to identify specific details they want added to the May 13 presentation so staff can provide more granular tables and scenario analyses.

No formal action was taken at the workshop; staff said the May 13 council meeting will include a fuller numerical budget document and the council will have an opportunity to provide direction before budget adoption.","Finance staff presented a fiscal year 2026 General Fund baseline with $71.5 million in projected expenditures, a 10% increase from FY25 midyear; staff proposed classifying adjustments as nondiscretionary, discretionary and a 4% potential savings factor based on typical salary/benefit vacancy rates.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Measure N framed as 10-year one-time stabilization; staff plans glide path to reduce reliance

San Ramon details capital projects, infrastructure maintenance transfers and Dougherty Valley subsidy

San Ramon finance staff presents FY26 General Fund baseline: $71.5 million projected, 4% potential savings factor proposed