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DRD board signals $6.3M shortfall and plans parcel-tax option on November ballot
Summary
The Desert Recreation District told council it will present a 2026–27 budget showing a $6.3 million deficit and staff recommended a $0.0505-per-square-foot parcel tax option to the DRD board for placement on the Nov. 3 ballot (paperwork due Aug. 7).
Dr. Gabriel Martin, general manager of the Desert Recreation District, told the Cathedral City council the DRD board will adopt a 2026–27 budget that currently shows a $6,300,000 deficit and staff intend to recommend a districtwide parcel tax for voters to consider on Nov. 3.
“We will be adopting our 2026–27 budget with a $6,300,000 deficit,” Dr. Martin said, citing the shortfall at the board meeting he chaired. He said staff are recommending a $0.0505-per-square-foot parcel tax (with no escalator) as one staff option and noted the board must submit required election materials by Aug. 7 if it chooses to pursue a ballot measure.
Dr. Martin also described the DRD timeline: the board will consider financing options, staff will return to Cathedral City on Aug. 12 with more detail, and the DRD will certify the November election results in December if placed on the ballot. He said the parcel tax proposal would include exemptions for low-income seniors and additional nuance around appropriation limits.
Council members asked follow-up questions about how the parcel tax would affect residents inside Cathedral City (it would not apply to the city’s territory until annexation occurs) and what majority is required for approval; staff confirmed the parcel tax is a special tax and requires a two-thirds (≈67%) voter approval. Staff also said they would present financing options and scenarios back to council at the August follow-up meeting.
