San Ramon To Review Spending Plan As Budget Pressures Persist

SAN RAMON, CA — The San Ramon City Council will review spending estimates for the 2026-27 fiscal year at their budget workshop Tuesday, part of an ongoing public budget review process. The council hopes to present a preliminary budget May 12, and a proposed budget May 26. The city is required to pass a balanced budget by June 30 that will take effect July 1.

Staff say this year’s budget process is guided by three core principles: no new programs without trade-offs, no spending beyond available resources, and no unsustainable long-term commitments.

According to a city staff report, the city’s General Fund is projected to reach roughly $76.8 million in operating expenditures, before transfers out. Overall spending is expected to rise roughly 2.6% year over year. Personnel costs remain the largest share of developmental General Fund budgets, representing 72.2%, or $55.4 million.

Police services are expected to grow by 6.35%, the largest single expense. Parks and community services will grow nearly 25% to $12.83 million, though this is mainly due to accounting changes that classify instructor payments as expenditures, not offsetting revenue. Other rising expenses include city administration costs (8.6%, or $8.68 million), and public works (0.98%, or $20.14 million.)

Overall General Fund revenue is anticipated to grow around 1.9%, thanks in part to sales tax gains from Measure N. Measure N revenue is projected at around $14.9 million, roughly $1.5 million higher than previously expected.

Still, growth is expected to trail behind long-term expenditures, which are expected to grow about 2.6 percent overall.

The city expects to end FY27 with a General Fund balance of about $32.3 million, maintaining reserves at roughly 39.5% of operating expenditures. This is above the city’s 36% target, but down from the prior year.

The latest budget workshop will take place Tuesday evening. See here for more information, and here for the full Tuesday agenda. See here for all info related to the FY26-27 budget.