San Ramon hosts town hall talks about budget woes

Officials with the city of San Ramon are soliciting public feedback on the city’s financial outlook and funding needs in a series of town hall events, the first of which is scheduled for this week.

The discussions were announced in a bulletin from the city on Monday ahead of a City Council workshop Tuesday, which marked the first official public discussion on an estimated $14.1 million deficit facing the city that became clear in the budgeting process for the upcoming fiscal year.

The first town hall event is scheduled for Thursday (April 25) at 6:30 p.m. in the Fountain Room of the San Ramon Community Center at 12501 Alcosta Blvd. in San Ramon.

“At this event, City Manager Steven Spedowfski will provide a short presentation on the City’s finances, followed by an open-mic period for residents to provide input and ask questions,” city officials said in Monday’s announcement. “City Department Heads will also be in attendance to answer questions as needed.”

While the size of the current deficit facing the city in the 2024-25 fiscal year is especially significant, it is the culmination of a years-long structural deficit that has ranged from $5.9 million to $7.9 million over the past four fiscal years, despite additional one-time emergency state and federal funds during the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At Tuesday’s workshop, the City Council discussed budget balancing measures including a proposed $8.6 million cut to funds across the city’s departments that would heavily impact police, parks, and public works. 

The next two town hall events announced so far consist of a second community discussion on May 30 at 6:30 p.m. at the Dougherty Station Community Arts Center at 17011 Bollinger Canyon Road, and a Business and Community Roundtable event from the San Ramon Chamber of Commerce on June 28 at 8:30 p.m. at the San Ramon Valley Conference Center at 3301 Crow Canyon Road. 

Meanwhile, budget discussions are set to continue at the City Council’s meetings on May 28 and June 11, ahead of the June 30 deadline to approve a budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

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