GALT, CA (MPG) - Galt City Council on April 2 requested a plan to designate a regular share of General Fund money for the Parks and Recreation Department. The change is intended to reinforce the concept of the Measure Q sales tax as a supplement to parks and rec funding.

The city’s Parks and Recreation Fund receives most of its revenue from that department’s programs, such as the Galt Market but the income regularly falls short of expenses. The General Fund makes contributions to Parks and Rec, covering the difference.

Council members expressed a desire to ensure that Measure Q dollars add to parks and rec funding rather than replacing it. They also wanted to treat parks and rec funding more like that for other departments.

Finance Director Matthew Boring presented information on the past General Fund contributions. The city transferred money to Parks and Rec in eight of the past 10 fiscal years. No contribution happened in fiscal years 2020-21 and 2021-22 due to scaled-back operations and rising Galt Market income. In years with contributions, the amount ranged from a low of about $118,000 in 2013-14 to a high of $1.7 million in 2018-19. Last fiscal year, 2022-23, the General Fund contributed close to $810,000.

These contributions represented varying proportions of the overall General Fund’s overall spending. Fiscal year 2018-19 was also a peak in this respect, with the General Fund transfer making up 11.2% of expenditures. In most other years presented, the contribution was between 3% and 4% of the fund.

“Personally, I think the people of this city who voted for Measure Q feel that it should be to supplement and better Parks and Rec, not replace current funds being put in,” Council Member Shawn Farmer said. “That’s the consensus I get from almost 90% of the people I talk to.”

Farmer advocated designating a fixed percentage of General Fund spending for parks and rec. At first, he suggested 5% but later changed it to 6%. He said a set dollar amount wouldn’t be responsive to economic changes. 

The other council members voiced support for a percentage.

Boring said a fixed dollar amount would be easier to account for in the budgeting process. With the consensus in favor of a percentage, Boring said, staff would develop a formula to propose at a future meeting. He explained that it would probably be based on the previous fiscal year’s actual spending, minus one-time items.

Councilmember Jay Vandenburg emphasized the importance of planning for maintenance with some of the Measure Q funds.

“I want to make sure that … as much as possible (the Measure Q money) is spent on community recreation but also with the need for forecasting of maintenance and repairs,” Vandenburg said.

Councilmember Kevin Papineau said the city is facing “a lot of moving targets,” with ups and downs in the economy and the Galt Market. He wanted a way to reevaluate the contribution level in response to such changes but said 5% “is probably right in the ballpark.”

Boring said City Council would have opportunities to adjust the contribution throughout the city’s two-year budget cycle.

Galt Vice-Mayor Rich Lozano noted that the city recently started the process of updating its parks master plan and he voiced concern about how to handle Measure Q funds if the results show that the community wants large projects that the city doesn’t immediately have the money for.

“I don’t know that we as a city, whether it be the staff or the policymakers or anybody, really know what we need,” Lozano said, adding that the money could sit unused for some time as the city saves for a large project.

Farmer later agreed that the master plan would be useful for understanding community priorities but, he said, there was little likelihood of funds going unused. He criticized the treatment of the contributions to the parks and rec fund as different from the normal allocations for other departments.

“Parks and rec deserves its own budget item, and we need to set a baseline that this is what the budget for parks and rec is,” Farmer said.

In other business, Special Events manager Jackie Garcia gave a preview of the community organizations seeking funding from the city for upcoming special events. 

Garcia said 11 applications had been received, with funding asks totaling more than $29,000, plus requests for services and facility use. Applicants included Galt Teen Center, Galt Area Historical Society, L’Chayim of Galt, Galt and Liberty Ranch high schools, Galt High Alumni Association, and Galt District Chamber of Commerce. 

City Council will make a final decision on the requests at its April 16 meeting.