Woodside council adopts 2025-26 budget, shifts $200,000 in Measure A funds to road maintenance

The Woodside Town Council adopted the town budget for fiscal year 2025-26, set the state-mandated appropriation limit and approved the annual salary schedule on June 24.

Administrative Services Director Cindy Safe told the council the budget packet included three resolutions: (1) adoption of the town budget by fund; (2) setting the appropriation limit required by state law; and (3) adopting the salary schedule and classification plan. The council-approved budget removes the Woodside Road northside project from the capital improvement plan at the council’s request.

Staff told the council that bids for the annual road-rehabilitation (microsurfacing) work came back 27–32% higher than the town’s prior-year costs for a similar square footage. To avoid reducing the volume of road maintenance the town performs, staff proposed transferring $200,000 from Measure A (San Mateo County transportation funds) into the road maintenance budget; the transfer was described as net neutral to the town’s overall spending plan because the Measure A balance covers the increase.

“I had advocated to find more money to compensate this fund because for me personally, it’s a lot easier to maintain something than it is to rehabilitate or have to, completely rebuild something,” Town Manager Jason Ledbetter said during the council discussion.

During public comment on the consent and budget items, resident Sue Paletti asked the council to revisit how sewer fees are assessed for small office buildings. Paletti described a long-running billing pattern in which her small commercial building’s sewer assessment rose sharply and was later corrected; she asked staff to investigate and meet with her to reconcile billing. Town Manager Ledbetter said staff would follow up and invited Paletti to schedule a meeting to review her account.

The council approved the three budget resolutions by roll-call vote.