Measure Z oversight panel receives third-quarter financial report; approves annual report for council

The Measure Z Oversight Advisory Committee on Monday received the fiscal year 2025–26 third-quarter financial update and unanimously approved the Measure Z annual report for submission to Wildomar City Council, committee members said.

Finance Manager Adam Chance told the committee that Measure Z assessments are paid to the city in two installments and the city had received roughly half of the current year’s assessment receipts as of the report. “At the current point in time, the fund balance is negative,” Chance said, but added that once the county’s second remittance and certain community facilities district contributions are journaled the projected fund balance will be “positive $93,000.”

Why it matters: Measure Z funds local park maintenance and facility operations. A temporary negative balance driven by timing of tax remittances does not reflect a structural shortfall, staff said; the committee will forward the annual report and its financial appendices to the City Council for review.

Chance outlined revenue and expense details. He said facility rental revenue recorded so far is about $30,754. He also summarized park budget-to-actual figures: general parks maintenance budgeted at $129,400 with $102,000 spent so far; the site listed in the materials as Maro O'Brien showed a budget of $122,000 and $166,000 in expenditures to date; Heritage Park budgets were shown as $45,000 against $43,000; Windsong Park $55,000 budgeted with $46,000 spent; and Malaga Park $11,400 budgeted with $6,000 spent. Chance said some of those actuals will be reduced when facility district contributions are journaled.

Public Works Manager Daniel Torres highlighted operational items reflected in the quarter: rising electricity costs tied to evening field rentals, planned slurry sealing for the Maro O'Brien parking lot, new playground bark for Heritage and Windsong parks, and replacement of exterior lighting with LEDs at Maro O'Brien to reduce ongoing energy costs. Torres also summarized an incident in which a vehicle drove through a vinyl fence and damaged a barrier gate; the city paid roughly $4,000 to repair the fence and gate and has submitted the loss to the city risk manager for possible reimbursement from the driver’s insurer.

Committee members pressed staff on a range of maintenance topics: theft of backflow-prevention devices, replacement materials (staff said the city is switching from brass to painted plastic preventers to reduce theft incentive), herbicide products and applicator certification, and the frequency and certification requirements for certified wood-fiber playground surfacing. On herbicide use, Torres said vendors are required to hold restricted-material applicator permits and comply with posting rules; Chance identified one product in use as “SpeedZone.”

Formal actions: staff recommended the committee receive and file the FY 2025–26 third-quarter report; the committee did not take a separate roll-call vote on that recommendation during the meeting. Later, on the Measure Z annual report for the fiscal year ended 2024–25, the committee moved to approve the report for submittal to the City Council. That motion carried 5-0.

Next steps: The committee approved the annual report for transmission to the Wildomar City Council. Staff will present the report and the financial appendices to council as the next procedural step.