Ross council reviews draft FY 2025–26 budget, approves mayoral appointments; civic center and undergrounding rise as capital priorities

The Town of Ross Town Council on April 24 reviewed a draft fiscal year 2025–26 operating budget and a five‑year capital improvement plan (CIP), discussed pension liabilities and anticipated credits from a Ross Valley Fire Department change, and voted to appoint Julie McMillan as mayor and Elizabeth Robbins as mayor pro tem.

The budget workshop, led by Town Manager Krista (last name not specified in the transcript) and consulting accountant Elizabeth Ford, included a multi‑year financial forecast, a staff proposal to transfer funds into a capital projects account to support a planned civic center modernization, and a presentation of capital projects including undergrounding utilities near the proposed civic center and the Winship Bridge replacement.

Why it matters: the council is projecting that the town’s current service level is fundable for the next five years, but that available one‑time capital funds will need careful management to complete the civic center project and other major CIP items. The council also discussed tools for improved resident communication and heard a funding request of $25,500 from the Ross Property Owners Association (RPOA).

Krista told the council the five‑year forecast “shows that the current level of services are fundable over the next five years,” while also cautioning that revenue growth is expected to lag expense growth and that the town will continue to rely on the public safety parcel tax and transfers from operating reserves to fund capital work. She proposed transferring $1,000,000 from the operating fund reserve to the capital projects fund in the coming year to support the civic center project and other capital needs.

Pensions and parcel tax The council reviewed pension liabilities tied to CalPERS valuations. Krista said the town’s most recent unfunded accrued liability was $6.1 million and noted that CalPERS investment returns can cause large year‑to‑year swings. The staff forecast includes an ongoing optional payment of $200,000 per year to pay down the unfunded liability; required CalPERS payments are also expected to rise in coming years.

Council members emphasized the budgetary unpredictability that follows CalPERS market volatility and asked staff to put the topic on the finance committee agenda for further analysis of reserve strategies.

Public safety funding and Fire JPA credits Council members discussed savings tied to the planned closure of one fire station under the Ross Valley Fire Department joint powers agreement (JPA). Krista said the town expects a credit of approximately $323,000 to the town’s FY 2025–26 budget tied to staffing reassignments and amendments to the JPA; she noted the credit still requires approval by the Ross Valley Fire Department board.

Krista also reminded the council that the public safety parcel tax was renewed in March 2024 and that the tax contributes more than $1 million annually toward public safety. The draft budget assumes the parcel tax rate will remain at $1,201.50 per parcel for FY 2025–26 and that it is scheduled to go into effect July 2025 and run through 2035.

Capital priorities: civic center, undergrounding and Winship Bridge Public works director Rich Siminich presented the five‑year CIP and identified the civic center modernization and a linked undergrounding (Rule 20A/28) project at the Laurel Grove/Sir Francis Drake intersection as major items. Rich said the undergrounding estimate for the civic center area is roughly $2.2–2.6 million and that PG&E has indicated it is “on board” to apply roughly $300,000 in Rule 28 credits toward that work. He advised the council that the capital projects fund is projected to reach about $11.75 million by the end of FY 2025–26, and that projected expenditures for the civic center program could leave a multi‑million dollar shortfall without additional funding sources such as grants, operating transfers, partnerships or debt.

Council members asked about alternatives and timing. Rich said the undergrounding supports signalization and circulation changes tied to the civic center site plan, and cautioned that partial undergrounding would not qualify for Rule 28 credits and would still be costly. Krista and Rich said staff will return with more refined scopes, phasing options and cost estimates.

Ross Property Owners Association request The council heard from Jeff Koblick, identified in the staff report as RPOA president, who described RPOA events and volunteer support and asked the council to include $25,500 in the FY 2025–26 budget to support the group’s work. “We look at it as a partnership,” Koblick said. Council members expressed broad support for the funding request while urging RPOA to help solicit resident input when it hosts meetings on substantive town matters.

Appointments and votes The council held two formal votes at the meeting: a nomination and roll‑call vote that elected Julie McMillan mayor (5–0), and a subsequent vote that appointed Elizabeth Robbins as mayor pro tem (5–0). The votes were recorded by roll call by name during the meeting (Ayes recorded for Mayor Pro Tem McMillan, Council member Dowling, Mayor Kercher/Kircher, Council member Robins/Robbins, and Council member Salter in the transcript). The council clerk announced the results: “With a vote of 5, Julie has been elected mayor,” and later, “Mayor Pro Tem, Robins has been voted in.”

Next steps Staff said the draft budget will return for formal adoption in June. Krista said staff will bring back more detail on communications support, staffing needs tied to capital projects and options for financing the civic center program, and that Rich would return with more detailed engineering and schedule items for the CIP. The council also directed staff to return later with options for communications improvements and to place pension strategy on the finance committee’s agenda.

The meeting adjourned after a roughly three‑hour workshop; council members and staff said the session will inform the June budget adoption process and the council’s next CIP decisions.