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The East Bay Regional Park District Board of Directors narrowly passed its 2026 budget during a lengthy final meeting of the year, amid controversy over the use of nearly $25 million in bond funds.
Approved via 4-3 tally, the 2026 operating, project and program budget authorizes the agency’s total use of $431,250,176, including transfers, down by approximately $35.4 million from the original budget proposal.
The budget cuts were made primarily by reducing the use of Measure WW acquisition funds — a $500 million bond extension approved by voters in 2008, with 75% of the funds designated to park district improvements and the acquisition of additional parklands and 25% designated to fund park and recreation projects in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, according to the 2026 proposed budget prepared by the EBRPD’s finance department.
In order to reduce the use of Measure WW to $24,993,775, down from $41,976,973, the district pulled its use on seven projects for the 2026 fiscal year.
Among the cuts, the Tri-Valley saw approximately $5.95 million slashed from previously proposed funding for the area, according to a staff report prepared by assistant finance officer Katie Dignan and Deborah Spaulding, assistant general manager of finance and management services/chief financial officer.
Although the use of Measure WW funds were reduced through an alternative proposal for the capital improvement plan, board members including Olivia Sanwong of Pleasanton, Lynda Deschambault and Dennis Waespi voted against the budget.
As another point of contention at the Dec. 16 meeting, changes to staffing levels related to the agency’s reorganization were on the table despite EBRPD’s lack of a permanent general manager since Sabrina Landreth tendered her resignation in early November. Max Korten continues as acting general manager, and an interim GM is expected to be named soon to provide more stability as the district embarks on a nationwide recruitment process to hire Landreth’s permanent replacement.
On the side of approving the budget, a related agency reorganization and state-mandated appropriations limit were John Mercurio, who represents the San Ramon Valley, as well as board members Colin Coffey, Luana España and Elizabeth Echols.
“How many of us want to sit here and be accused of being idiots for sitting on money that we’re never going to spend on what was listed here?” Coffey said of using the proposed Measure WW funds. “Whenever we go out to extend WW another half billion dollars, I want to be able to look at each of these things and say, this was a promise made, this was a promise kept.”
Tri-Valley’s Measure WW funds dwindle
During the 2026 fiscal year, EBRPD plans to spend approximately $52 million to fund 35 projects within the alternative CIP — the majority of the funding (approximately $34 million) is slated for seven public access projects.
Under the alternative plan, roughly $3.9 million in Measure WW acquisition and Measure WW development funding was canceled for the renovation of Las Trampas Wilderness Regional Preserve’s water system, according to the staff report.
A separate, public access and mitigation project at Las Trampas maintains its allocation of $1.3 million of Measure WW development funding for next fiscal year.
The alternative CIP also removed $2 million of Measure WW bond acquisition funds for constructing Pleasanton Ridge trails; however, other project funding ($1 million) is slated to be used for the project during the 2026 fiscal year.
Tri-Valley cities of Dublin, Pleasanton and San Ramon as well as the communities of Alamo and Danville are covered by Measure WW. The city of Livermore, however, is not included in the Measure WW jurisdiction.
Despite the retraction of Measure WW funds for the 2026 fiscal year, the board approved the use of its general fund for Tri-Valley projects including the potential opening of Doolan Canyon Regional Preserve to the public ($150,000) and installation of modular buildings for staff at Del Valle Regional Park ($60,000), according to the 2026 proposed budget.
EBRPD is also set to use insured loss reimbursement at Vasco Hills Regional Preserve to reconstruct its workshop and stable ($2,961,063) in response to a shop fire in July of 2020 and repair a concession stand at Del Valle ($300,000) that was damaged by flooding.
Although EBRPD scaled back its expected appropriations for 2026, the agency plans to spend over $73 million in excess of revenue next fiscal year, according to a budget.
In addition to reduced project fund appropriations, the approved budget featured a $31,079 decrease in the general fund appropriations due to an alternative reorganization proposal, according to the report.
The reorganization adds new jobs to the agency including AFSCME Local 2428 union positions of park ranger, marketing and media supervisor and interpretive aide as well as unrepresented management assistant general manager of facilities and infrastructure. The reorganization was agreeable to both EBRPD and the union leaders, as stated during the Dec. 16 meeting by representatives of both groups.
The budget also included three additional positions and two roles increased from part-time to full-time that were added during 2025.
Ahead of the final budget hearing, board directors conducted a full review of the 2026 budget during their Dec. 2 meeting as well as an alternative reorganization based on feedback from the board and labor partners.
Both sides speak up
The public hearing Dec. 16 revealed mixed feelings on whether EBRPD should reallocate a portion of Measure WW funding for the proposed projects.
David Cervenka, executive director of nonprofit organization Stewards of Briones, was among those who expressed his support for using Measure WW funds for capital improvement projects.
“Especially those projects that will help us get more kids on bikes and stay healthy,” Cervenka said.
Cervenka was accompanied by over 150 letters to the board in support of using Measure WW for the proposed projects, a number recounted by Coffey during the meeting.
“This is a wonderful list of terrific capital improvement projects,” said Robert Cheasty, executive director of East Bay activist group Citizens for East Shore Parks. “(The) only problem is that I don’t think you should be funding them out of WW acquisition monies.”
The reallocation of Measure WW funding would oppose its intended use as 75% for acquisition and 25% for capital, argued Norman La Force, co-founder and CEO of the Sustainability, Parks, Recycling and Wildlife Legal Defense Fund.
During the public hearing, special attention was given to the development of Thurgood Marshall Regional Park.
“This park is sacred ground,” EBRPD park advisory committee member Dennisha Marsh said. “It preserves the nationally significant story of racial injustice, military service and Civil Rights and ensures the legacy of the Port Chicago 50 is honored and taught to future generations.”
Kicking off the board’s discussion, Deschambault expressed uneasiness over reallocating approximately $24 million from Measure WW funds, given the organization’s track record.
“We’d basically be doubling that and I have a lot of uncomfortableness with that,” Deschambault said of the proposed Measure WW reallocation.
Given EBRPD’s forthcoming general manager search, Deschambault suggested postponing a reorganization.
Echols expressed an opposing point of view, considering the proposed use of Measure WW funds as appropriate. “We have a plan to replace the Measure WW funds and over $120 million will remain within the pot to make acquisitions,” Echols explained.
Siding with Echols, España expressed her mutual support of the proposed budget.
Also in favor of passing the budget, Coffey argued the amount of funds remaining from Measure WW should not be the focus of the discussion.
“The focus is, what promises we made and what promises we are keeping, not on how much money is left in a specific pot,” Coffey argued.
Coffey added to the motion a request for management to assess progress on the Measure WW project list as well as their communication with voters.
Sanwong, while supportive of analyzing Measure WW projects, encouraged staff to continue giving attention to areas of the park district not included in Measure WW such as the Livermore area.
Through approval of the budget, the board also authorized the carryover of 2025 encumbered funds into 2026 for the completion of previously approved projects and services, according to the staff report. Although the amount of carry over is unknown until the end of the 2025 fiscal year, previous years averaged less than $3 million, the report states.
District staff anticipate the finalized budget book to be complete at the end of January.
Officials also plan to seek grant funding on an ongoing basis for all the projects approved as part of the 2026 budget, according to the report. If EBRPD secures additional grant funding or construction contracts ring up less than expected, Measure WW acquisition funds will be returned to their original source, the report adds.
In addition to approving the budget, the board also approved a separate 2026 appropriation limit, also known as the “Gann limit” — a state-required cap on public agencies’ appropriations.
EBRPD is compliant with the state’s regulation, since the appropriations subject to the limit are below the calculated cap of $589.8 million, Spaulding explained during the meeting.
Also during the Dec. 16 meeting, Sanwong rose from vice president to president of the board.
As for filling the post of interim general manager, an individual is set to be appointed at an upcoming board meeting, communications and outreach manager Kendra Strey told the Pleasanton Weekly. The nationwide search for a general manager is set to begin after the holidays.
