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SAM board directs general manager to send proposed 2026–27 budgets to member agencies; collections budget rises about 20%
Summary
The SAM board on March 9 authorized the general manager to submit proposed FY 2026–27 collections and general budgets to member agencies for review. Staff said the collections budget increased roughly 20% (~$150,000), driven chiefly by personnel costs and benefit increases; the board debated how to plan for a large Montara force‑main project.
The SAM board on Monday voted to authorize the general manager to submit the proposed FY 2026–27 collections and general budgets to member agencies for their review and potential modification before final adoption.
Staff presented the collections services budget and said total collections costs are approximately $912,935, an increase of about 20% (roughly $150,000) over the prior year. The presenter said the year‑over‑year rise is driven primarily by personnel costs tied to recently negotiated terms and health‑benefit increases, and by modest increases in insurance and supplies. Service assumptions include cleaning a minimum of 50% of sewer lines annually and continuing routine maintenance, hotspot cleaning and emergency response.
Staff described how the collections assessments will be allocated among the member agencies: Half Moon Bay ~34.5%, GCSD ~28.5% and MWSD ~37%, reflecting system size and number of lift stations. The board discussed the budget detail and asked staff to clarify capital and equipment planning, including whether large assets such as vacuum trucks should be funded through member‑agency reserves or held centrally by SAM. Staff said a $400,000 non‑project equipment appropriation is being proposed to separate routine repair/replacement from infrastructure capital projects.
On the broader general budget, staff said the total operations budget increased about 15% overall, citing a roughly $605,000 rise in infrastructure funding (driven in part by a large Montara force‑main project), a personnel cost increase of about $263,000, and other operating increases. Staff also explained the practice of capitalizing items over a $5,000 threshold and said the proposed budget establishes a separate line for non‑project capital to avoid drawing from the infrastructure category.
Directors asked follow‑up questions about equipment‑replacement planning, reserve strategies and legal/professional service costs. After discussion the board moved and seconded a motion to authorize the general manager to submit the proposed budgets to member agencies for their approval and review; the motion passed on a roll‑call vote of directors present.
What happens next: Member agencies will review the proposed budgets, confer internally, and return with any requested changes before the board adopts a final FY 2026–27 budget.
Attribution note: Budget presentation material and numbers were provided by SAM staff during the meeting; questions and direction came from board members in public session.
