Measure E committee recommends 2025-26 budget with trade-offs for parks to cover public safety costs

City Manager Tim Kieser told the Grass Valley Measure E committee that the proposed fiscal year 2025-26 Measure E budget balances continuing funding for police, fire, streets and parks while drawing down reserves and shifting some priorities to meet rising personnel and equipment costs.

Kieser told the committee, “We're here today to discuss our proposed budget for the fiscal year 2526,” and said revenue forecasts from HDL show Measure E receipts of about $7,090,000 for the coming year. He noted a new budget line for strike-team reimbursements—about $200,000—that will reimburse the Measure E fund when police or fire personnel are deployed to reimbursable mutual-aid incidents.

The committee was shown that long-term personnel costs, insurance and pension (PERS) liabilities are growing faster than Measure E revenue. Kieser said the city removed about $200,000 of pension unfunded liability from Measure E and placed it in the general fund to reduce pressure on the sales-tax fund. He also said the city is starting to set aside $120,000 per year toward future apparatus purchases and that a planned new ladder truck, expected to cost about $2.1 million, will require additional funding when it arrives.

The budget document includes rollover capital items: a fire engine delivery expected in December, a utility truck, and roughly $80,000 for miscellaneous equipment. Capital proposals for 2025-26 include $1.2 million for street rehabilitation and about $1.1–1.3 million for parks projects, the largest parks item being replacement of restrooms at Condon Park (approximately $900,000). The city is also carrying forward money for the Loma Rica Trail extension; staff said work will proceed once right-of-way and related environmental steps (they referenced the Department of Toxic Substances Control, DTSC) are finalized.

Committee member Bob (last name not provided in the record) said the proposal “meets the requirements of the intent of Measure E,” while urging the city to keep streets and parks funding visible in future years. Several committee members and staff discussed shifting fractional positions between funds (some roles moved into the general fund or Measure B) and continuing to fund Axon body and fleet cameras from Measure E.

A caller who identified themself on the recording as Matthew (last name given as Bolter then as Coulter in the transcript) criticized maintenance of sidewalks and accessibility, saying the new restroom at Scott and Gilmore field is difficult for wheelchair users to reach from the upper field. The caller also used profanity and made personal accusations; staff recorded the comment for the record and the committee acknowledged the accessibility concern as part of public comment.

At the meeting's close the committee voted to forward a recommendation to the City Council to accept the proposed Measure E budget as presented. The record shows the committee approved the meeting agenda at the start of the session and later moved to accept the budget recommendations; the verbatim transcript does not include a roll-call tally for the final recommendation vote.

The committee and staff repeatedly emphasized that Measure E receipts are largely flat in current forecasts, and that future commercial development such as the Dorsey Marketplace could materially improve receipts but is likely several years away. Staff also noted the city received a $6 million lease-structured financing several years ago for parks improvements, with about $3 million of that program remaining to allocate to projects.

The Measure E committee's recommendation sends the proposed budget to the City Council for formal consideration and any final adjustments. Staff said the council will determine final allocations and may use general-fund reserves or other sources to close gaps for the ladder truck and other capital needs.