Ross finalizes balanced budget

Ross has adopted a budget for next fiscal year that prioritizes a new civic center campus.

The Town Council voted 4-1 to adopt the 2025-26 budget and capital improvement plan at its meeting Thursday. The budget is balanced, and shows rising expenses and revenues.

Town Manager Christa Johnson said it is the third year the town’s budget includes a fund that will help pay for the project to rebuild the civic center campus. By the end of fiscal year 2025-26, there will be about $11.8 million in the account.

“That is very significant and I commend you,” Johnson said.

Councilmember Mathew Salter voted against adopting the budget. He said an undergrounding project in the capital improvement plan seemed too expensive.

Ross anticipates $11.6 million in total general fund revenue next fiscal year. Over half, around $6.5 million, is from property taxes. In general, revenues were budgeted to be greater than last year — tax revenue increased by between 5% and 7%, revenue from the planning department rose by 13.3%, and the town’s investment and rental income jumped over 37% compared to last year.

The town’s expenses are also on the rise. Governmental expenses are up by 20.5%, public works expenses by 9.7%, and recreational expenses by nearly 9%. The town plans to spend $10.9 million total from the general fund in fiscal year 2025-26.

Fire and police services account for $5.5 million of the town’s expenses. General government expenses — including employee wages and benefits, outside services, and attorney fees — are allocated at $1.7 million, and the planning and building department and the public works department are budgeted at around $1.1 million each.

Salter asked why the town is not saving more regarding the fire services expenses, considering Station 18 will close July 1. Johnson said the town has to keep the building insured, and another $10,000 is set aside for maintenance and repairs as paramedics will still be living in the fire station. This was reduced by 50% from last year’s budget.

“We need to have a modest amount of money for a broken window, HVAC, or something,” Johnson said.

Fire service expenses are budgeted at $3 million, a 6% decrease from last fiscal year. Additionally, funds allocated for renting a trailer the firefighters have been living in will likely not be used.

“We won’t need all that money,” Johnson said. “That will be a nice $20,000 savings.”

The Town Council’s approval included projects listed in the capital improvement plan for next year. The plan is funded by a variety of revenue sources, including road and drainage impact fees; Transit Authority of Marin’s Measure A, AA, and B; gas taxes and grants. The budgeted revenue for the capital improvement plan in fiscal year 2025-26 is $5.4 million.

Next year’s projects will cost about $4.5 million. Projects include paving work on a stretch of road between Bolinas Avenue and El Camino Bueno, repaving part of Morrison Road that the town maintains, and a storm drain project that will add flood protection for residents along Bolinas Avenue.

One project next fiscal year includes an effort to underground utilities along Sir Francis Drake and Lagunitas Road, which will cost around $500,000. The total cost is $2.6 million over around four years. Salter said the project is too expensive for the community, though he understood the benefits, like wildfire safety and aesthetics, of undergrounding utility lines.

“We say we don’t have money for other things, but $2.3 million just to take the utilities underground seems like a luxury.” Salter said. “It’s just so much money relative to our saved up, $10 million.”

Public Works Director Richard Simonitch said the project to revamp the civic center will go more smoothly once the utilities are underground, as the lines are adjacent to Town Hall. He said the town has always found a way to fund other undergrounding projects.

“Once we get it over with, staff believe it’s going to be worth the expenditure,” Simonitch said.

Across all funds — the general, capital projects, and special revenues funds — the town’s total budget is $15.3 million. The town has a policy to keep a 30% reserve, or $3.5 million, in the general fund. The budget ends the next fiscal year with $5 million. Additionally, the town has put $1.5 million into an emergency fund.

The new fiscal year begins July 1.