[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6526399,"mediaKeyId","3798045-bd52a51299add1b23f9ecea251333ec7","parentId",3798045,"title","Council asked staff to set aside one‑time funds for community requests but asked for matches and plans","audioSeconds",283,"startMs",757000,"endMs",1040000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3798045-bd52a51299add1b23f9ecea251333ec7&start=757&end=1040","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3798045-bd52a51299add1b23f9ecea251333ec7/thumbnail_757000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6526399/Sonoma-City/Sonoma-County/California/Council-asked-staff-to-set-aside-onetime-funds-for-community-requests-but-asked-for-matches-and-plans","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6526399-3ee60e55bc02365a312d15c5b8e0b985/orig.mp4?Expires=1771203123&Signature=Vb-2QwdMtOP6DKTI3bNRo1ZdWb8iemxtCsLR9XoHQKwHIUCvEFyXT~ZcEdzYpkdAo5wSQlgCKVXtCOPGo2FK7PmKZbH0ZdCTiYyF2J5lKUqa12oZ38aIo0T0yYQTkaksbvAId8tN4lNJffDV0NOX7l0T2T3vVVMo3PdCVo1rw7WrUeYhY7x4XPVi20-wlVGNoLC3yO3oNu2uEwCVZH~i3VqJqc2R0KIMGL7x3j6W7jRX6eNKAiidRlYtSMWRYlhGqblMKXPFHkmmgEI4tBKpkIexuMCPJJS0Pk21WShj1YbywYxtsb087iP4w6VP~uylgTENtUuCESX-BXiAKPUKiw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Sonoma, CA","date","2025-06-05T23:09:04Z","article","At the Sonoma City Council budget workshop, multiple nonprofits and commissioners requested one‑time funding from the city’s reserves to cover urgent community needs and capital projects. Staff reported the total of all one‑time requests received for this cycle was about $667,000; some items requested specific amounts while others did not specify funding amounts.

Public requests and testimony
- SOS (a local food and meal provider) requested an additional $25,000 for this year. Volunteer Lynn Joyner told the council, \"we project by the end of this year, we'll probably provide about 80,000 meals to people in Sonoma and the Valley,\" and asked the city to consider additional funding to meet rising demand.
- Sonoma Splash Community Pool sought one‑time funding in addition to ongoing city support; Project Director Jane Hanson said the pool \"offers critical water safety and swim lessons\" and asked for funding to sustain youth programming (the group requested an additional $50,000 in the presentation).
- The Sonoma County Parks Foundation requested $50,000 toward a regional skate‑park redesign.

Other requests described by staff included a plaza security project to provide permanent event protection, resurfacing requests for local courts and fields, an exploratory study to rehabilitate the Mason‑Ivy cottage for revenue generation, and an electrical yard upgrade to support charging for county buses (a match proposal discussed with Sonoma County Transit).

Council response and direction
Council members generally expressed support for the community priorities but emphasized the city’s constrained operating picture. Several councilors said they were willing to set aside one‑time funds from reserves for many of the requests while asking staff to: (1) secure county and philanthropic matches where possible (especially for regional resources such as Splash and the skate park); (2) return with funding plans that show how a one‑time payment addresses longer‑term operations; and (3) bring back specific project scopes, cost estimates and funding matches for items such as Maxwell Farms resurfacing, the skate park and Mason‑Ivy cottage work.

Staff noted some requests are regionally used resources that staff will ask the county to share with funding responsibility. City Manager David Keelan said staff could hold funding in reserve and bring items forward in June for council action but stressed that ongoing operational commitments should not be added without a sustainable revenue source.

What was decided
There were no formal votes at the workshop. Council gave staff direction to hold one‑time funds in reserve pending: more detailed funding plans, identification of county or philanthropic matches and clearer proposals on whether a request represents a strictly one‑time capital expense (for which reserves are appropriate) or an ongoing operating commitment that would require recurring funding.

Next steps
Staff will: (a) pursue county and philanthropic matches for regional items; (b) prepare detailed funding plans and project scopes for council review; and (c) present a June budget adoption package that identifies any one‑time allocations the council wishes to approve before year‑end.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council - May 22, 2025 Special Meeting Budget Workshop","oneSentenceSummary","Public commenters asked the council for one‑time grants for SOS food services, Sonoma Splash pool operations and a regional skate‑park; councilors agreed to reserve funds from reserves against a tight budget but asked staff to seek county matches and return with detailed funding and implementation plans.","taxTitle","Sonoma City, Sonoma County, California","taxId",72202,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6526404,"Sonoma City presents balanced FY26 budget with narrow margin, council keeps reserves under close watch",2084,16000,2100000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3798045-bd52a51299add1b23f9ecea251333ec7&start=16&end=2100","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3798045-bd52a51299add1b23f9ecea251333ec7/thumbnail_16000.jpg","/articles/6526404/Sonoma-City/Sonoma-County/California/Sonoma-City-presents-balanced-FY26-budget-with-narrow-margin-council-keeps-reserves-under-close-watch","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6526404-1e6624cbb39bddf55597a714b0879b9c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771203124&Signature=Vnp6m64eZMr8v79eeFdlA1CfWPzVeOuh23A131vz3n3VjEgQLX~GKKCASJjdcSLMmQLCNo97qTRfYwpDY6Ci301xtkMmj58qn-6VbzdrNKCAIl6eiKK4-nuDvAvaURQj6yIMdKqL53PCU9H3Alj22TyONW33rHLsvWzRnu7ZJtvCyaGLb-96cM9ASzZOAr0AwOssypEP2ATbd1tIMcjS0AU-3QzEBuuDnyholRD95FPCiWMzROrH7vOfbLWMjQBFVfY5YQuciOrIDLmThRuXCs80xJIIxxyJcsR79M66QtmzHjw5cthILvtVe~FcBC3r0k~BOj6yhW6gDvcfyCpAuw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City Manager David Keelan told the Sonoma City Council at a budget workshop that the proposed fiscal 2025–26 spending plan is balanced, with $28.8 million in proposed general-fund revenue and $28.7 million in proposed general-fund spending, producing a narrow $152,000 surplus.

The proposal comes amid rising personnel and utility costs, uncertain state and federal revenue flows and broadly flat tourism receipts. \"This budget we're bringing to you today is balanced,\" Keelan said during the presentation. Finance Director Prathy outlined the economic assumptions behind the numbers and the major drivers on the expense side.

Why it matters: Sonoma’s operating budget is tightly balanced and relies on conservative revenue projections, the recently passed Measure T and careful use of reserves. Council and staff agreed the city should preserve reserve levels amid federal and state uncertainty and return with updated revenue and expense figures before final adoption.

What the budget shows
- Proposed citywide revenue: $45.6 million; proposed general-fund revenue: $28.8 million.
- Proposed general-fund expenditure: $28.7 million; projected surplus: $152,000.
- Key revenue drivers: sales and use tax ($9.2 million), transient occupancy tax (TOT, $6.0 million), property tax ($6.0 million) and emergency-medical-service (EMS) collections (about $3.5 million).
- Measure T was projected to add roughly $2.6 million in fiscal 2025–26.

Staff emphasized conservative assumptions on volatile lines such as TOT and sales tax. Prathy said the city is forecasting TOT to be essentially flat for 2025–26 and that sales tax receipts were expected to remain flat or slightly down in 2025. The finance director also described a moderate property-tax forecast (3–5% growth) and conservative five‑year projections.

Rising costs and fiscal risks
Staff flagged several cost pressures the council explicitly discussed: a 3% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) assumption for wages, a staff‑estimated 15% increase in employer health contribution, a 10% projected increase in workers’ compensation, and a 20% preliminary estimate for property and liability insurance. In addition, pension-related (PERS) unfunded actuarial liability costs rose modestly; staff said a lower-than-expected PERS investment return in the valuation raised the city’s UAL payment by about $168,000 compared with the prior year.

Reserves and the outlook
Keelan and Prathy walked the council through reserve levels and multi-year forecasting. Staff described an operating-reserve policy and an emergency reserve and recommended preserving as much reserve capacity as practicable given federal uncertainty around disaster funding. Keelan said the budget will be revisited at midyear and that staff will return with updated revenue and expense data in January and for the June adoption. He asked council members to view the $152,000 surplus as effectively zero for planning purposes and to plan for a small range of adjustment between now and adoption.

Public comment and council direction
Members of the public urged the council to fund community services and facilities, including food assistance and the community pool. Lynn Joyner of the community nonprofit SOS told the council, \"we project by the end of this year, we'll probably provide about 80,000 meals to people in Sonoma and the Valley,\" and asked the city for additional one‑time support. Jane Hanson, project director for Sonoma Splash, told the council that \"investing in Sonoma Splash Community Pool is not just a commitment to recreation. It's a commitment to public safety, youth development, and community strengthening.\" Councilors and staff discussed the requests; they asked staff to pursue county and philanthropic matches and to return with more formal funding plans.

Process and next steps
Staff recommended adopting a conservative balanced budget on June 18 (the date mentioned in the presentation), continuing to hold some capital projects for possible midyear funding, and bringing a midyear revenue update in January. Council members asked staff to provide clearer department‑level revenue/expenditure alignments and to make the CIP and reserve projections easier for the public and council to monitor.

Ending note
Councilors thanked staff for narrowing the prior-year deficit and for the clearer presentation of departmental costs. Staff said the final budget book and an online, searchable CIP dashboard will follow, and that staff will update the council and the public as revenue figures and insurance/workers’ compensation quotes finalize before adoption.","City staff presented a budget that projects $28.8 million in general-fund revenue and $28.7 million in proposed general-fund spending for fiscal 2025–26, producing a small $152,000 surplus; councilors and speakers pressed staff on reserves, rising personnel and utility costs, and follow-up steps for one-time spending requests.","actionData","errors"]

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Council asked staff to set aside one‑time funds for community requests but asked for matches and plans

Sonoma City presents balanced FY26 budget with narrow margin, council keeps reserves under close watch