The Calaveras County Council of Governments on March 5 approved a draft fiscal year 2025–26 operations budget and adopted a draft overall work program, then appointed an ad hoc committee to negotiate the executive director’s contract. All motions recorded on those items passed by unanimous vote.

The executive director presented the draft operations budget, which she said “totals $677,000” and reflects an increase of about $15,000 from the prior year, driven largely by salaries and benefits. The director noted a roughly $5,000 increase to health insurance and a reduction in a line item tied to last year’s software migration costs that will not recur.

The council then considered the draft overall work program for fiscal 2025–26, which the director said totals approximately $1,400,000, a decrease of about $175,000 from the prior year. The draft projects revenue by funding source and programs, and includes an increase in Rural Planning Assistance to about $315,000 for this year. The work program also lists a number of staff priorities and federally/state-mandated tasks, including development of a regional transportation improvement program (RTIP), an update to the regional transportation plan (RTP) due to Caltrans in October, and a five-year short-range transit plan.

The council unanimously approved the operations budget and the overall work program. The recorded votes show passage 7–0 on the overall work program and related motions; the operations budget vote was recorded as unanimous as well.

Council members then appointed an ad hoc committee to negotiate the executive director’s contract. The council described the ad hoc as composed of two county members and one city member and asked the committee to coordinate with COG staff and legal counsel; Council approved the formation of the committee by unanimous vote and instructed the committee to report back in closed session. The chair reminded members not to discuss contract negotiations in open session.

Other work-program details discussed during the presentation included staffing (four full-time positions plus merit increases were reflected in the draft), planned reimbursements to local jurisdictions for certain environmental work under the regional greenhouse gas reduction plan (the staff packet shows $40,000 budgeted for one jurisdiction and $45,000 for another), and match funding associated with Safe Streets and Roads for All projects. The director said members would receive a final budget in June and an amendment in the fall reflecting year-end actuals.

Meeting materials and staff presentations were cited repeatedly during the discussion; no public comments were recorded on the budget or work program items.