TMRPA Director Jeremy Smith previewed the agency's fiscal-year 2025 budget and a planned strategic-goals process, telling the governing board the agency begins allocation conversations with local jurisdictions in the fall and will return a proposed budget for adoption in February.

Smith said TMRPA's funding comes from the three member jurisdictions and that staff had proposed linking the allocation request to the West Region Consumer Price Index (the October reference equated to roughly a 2.1% increase in the prior conversation). He said the illustrative net increase under discussion amounted to about $22,000 across jurisdictions and that jurisdiction managers raised no pushback during preliminary talks. Smith framed the proposal as sustaining agency operations and building agency financial sustainability without large year-over-year jumps.

On expenditures and pay, staff assumptions included up to 5% merit increases for employees, continued use of interns, and recruiting to replace a departing GIS coordinator. Smith announced longtime GIS coordinator Damien Kerwin is leaving for a GIS analyst role at the Truckee Meadows Water Authority; he congratulated Kerwin and said the agency will advertise for a replacement.

Smith also proposed an updated approach to director performance evaluation and a package of strategic goals to accompany the February budget submission. He recommended periodic board check-ins on a short set of metrics (e.g., every one or two meetings) and said the strategic goals will clarify expectations for the agency's regulatory conformance work, regional coordination role, and an emerging "third pillar" of programmatic work. Member Devin Reese moved to direct staff to develop the FY2025 budget and strategic plan using the assumptions discussed and to return a proposed budget and strategic goals on Feb. 13, 2025; the motion was seconded and carried unanimously.

Next steps: staff will finalize the proposed FY2025 budget and the draft strategic goals and present them at the Feb. 13, 2025 RPGB meeting for review and possible adoption.