Corte Madera staff present two-year budget, council asks for clarifications on reserves, sales tax and parks funding

Corte Madera, Calif. — Corte Madera officials presented a two-year operating budget for fiscal years 2025–26 and 2026–27 on June 17 as the town begins a two‑meeting review process ahead of a possible July 1 vote.

Finance Director Chris Petlock and Town Manager Adam led the presentation, showing staff projections that assume flat overall revenues next year with a modest 1–1.5% increase the following year. “We’ve really tried to be very conservative in our outlook at each line item,” Petlock told the council as he described sales‑ and property‑tax reliance and plans to build the general fund reserve from 20% to 25% of operating expenditures.

The budget shows an estimated general fund surplus of about $1.9 million in 2025–26 and a smaller surplus the year after; staff proposed moving portions of those surplus amounts into a town capital fund and an equipment and technology fund to pay for infrastructure and replacements. Petlock said the town expects to spend roughly $12–13 million on capital and related non‑capital community initiatives in the first two years of the plan.

Why it matters: Corte Madera’s…