Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Watermaster Assessment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Watermaster sets 2025–26 assessment at $60 per acre-foot and cancels fourth quarterly assessment
Summary
The board adopted the Watermaster budget for 2025–26, set the assessment at $60 per acre-foot and canceled the fourth quarterly installment for the current fiscal cycle, citing a healthy cash balance and projected positive year-end results.
The Fox Canyon GMA’s Watermaster budget and assessment for fiscal year 2025–26 were adopted by the board on July 23. The board also passed a resolution canceling the fourth quarterly installment for the current assessment cycle because of the Watermaster’s positive cash balance.
Agency staff presented the Watermaster financials showing that, with the initial installment structure and current cash position, canceling the fourth quarterly installment would still leave the Watermaster account with about $450,000 at fiscal-year close; the full installment for the next year would restore reserves. The board adopted Resolution 2025-04 (to cancel the fourth quarterly installment) and Resolution 2025-05 to set the assessment at $60 per acre-foot for the 2025–26 year. Both motions passed on roll call.
Budget committee members and board leadership characterized the actions as fiscally responsible: committee reviews found anticipated expenses below earlier estimates, producing a positive projected year-end balance for Watermaster operations even with the canceled installment. Board members said the assessment of $60 per acre-foot is about $5 lower than the prior year’s assessment.
Public comments at the meeting encouraged Watermaster staff to prioritize storing state water project deliveries where local storage capacity exists, to prepare for future dry periods.
Why it matters: the assessment establishes the Watermaster’s funding level for monitoring and management work related to extraction accounting and enforcement. The decision to cancel the fourth quarterly installment reduces near-term costs for assessors while preserving the Watermaster’s operational balance.
Next steps: staff will continue to monitor cash flow and may revisit assessment timing in future budget cycles; board members asked staff to consider operational efficiencies, including opportunities to better align semiannual extraction statements across systems.
