TOWN OF FAIRFAX
Budget Workshop
Fiscal Year 2026-2027
April 2, 2026
1 General Fund – Source of Funds
$15.8 Million
Property taxes 57.1%
Sales taxes 14.0%
Service charges 6.5%
Measure F 5.0%
Other taxes/fees 16.7%
Fund balance .6%
2 Property Taxes
57.1%
General Fund – Use of Funds
$15.8 Million
PUBLIC SAFETY 61.6%
TOWN ADMINISTATION 11.8%
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES 8.4%
PUBLIC WORKS 7.0%
PARKS & FACILITIES 2.8%
RECREATION/COMM SERV 2.0%
NON-DEPARTMENTAL 6.4%
3 General Fund – Appropriations
Expenditures by Category
4 Salaries
33%
Fire
26.7%
Other
Operating
18.9%
Benefits &
Payroll
Costs 11.4%
Other Contract Services 9%
Other Contract Services $1.4 Million
Town Attorney
22.5%
Non
Departmental
18.8%
Other
16%
Public Works
19.2% Parks & Rec
13.9%
Planning &
Building
9.6%
General Fund – Appropriations
Budget Highlights for 2026-2027
• Sales tax projections rely on passage of Measure J
Measure C provides $1.113 M to town revenue in FY27
Passage of Measure J would add $ 92,750 with additional ¼ % in last quarter. Loss would reduce FY27 revenue by $278,000 and FY28 revenue by $1.15M Separate Bradley Burns (1%) tax projected to decrease in FY27 (per Avenu) • Personnel
No new positions or staff cuts proposed
COLAs applied per MOU agreements with POA and non-represented SEIU MOU negotiations are in progress
• Funding multiple priority projects with limited resources Fire Station tenant improvements from county loan
Park Road Storm Drain project on Park Road (ARPA funded) 5 General Fund – Appropriations
Highlights
General Fund Appropriations up by 5.5%
Public Safety up $849,200 at 9.6%
Fire up $552,700 at 15.1%
Police up $292,300 at 5.6%
All others - net decrease ($35,800)
6 General Funds
7 General Fund Appropriations
Department Summaries
Department Fund Budget Page
Police 411 32-33
Planning & Building 311 28-29
Environment 514 44
Recreation 617, 621, 622 51-53
General Administration 18-25
Ross Valley Fire 421 36
Public Works 510, 511, 512, 611 39-41; 46
Non-Departmental 715 8 55
Police
FY 26-27 Draft Budget
9 •Reflects Increases primarily due to MOU-governed
amounts
•Reflects Health Insurance Rates, Workers Comp,
Retirement, Medicare, and Retirement Side Fund
•Reflects MERA Membership Figures for Police and
DPW
•Minimal operational cost increases
Total Budget ~ $5,475,000
Police
Draft Budget with 10% Reduction
10 •Eliminates 2 Full-time FTE Police Officer positions •Eliminates 1 Full-time FTE Dispatcher position
•Eliminates 1 Full-time FTE Police Services Technician
position
•Eliminates programs that support the Chamber of
Commerce and other Town Events
•Eliminates select extra patrol services due to short
staffing
Budget Reduced by ~ $547,500
Police
Draft Budget with 10% Reduction
11 •Increases estimated overtime rates
•Increases estimated part-time employee hours
•Potential Burn-Out
•Higher risk for injury and workers’ comp claims
•Impacts recruitment and retention
•May reduce response times
Budget Reduced by ~ $547,500
Planning & Building
FY 26-27 Draft Budget
12 0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
Dept. Budget Staffing Tasks 5.0 FTEs
Required
Housing
Programs
Base Line Tasks
• Permit intake
• Public inquiries
• Building reviews
• Planning reviews (permit streamlining)
• Required housing program implementation
• State required code updates
Additional Tasks
• Special programs (e.g. vacation rentals)
• Plan updates (e.g. bike/ped plan)
• Pro-active code enforcement
• Add revenue (e.g. grants)
• Expedited processing
Fee Revenue Gen.Fund
Grant
HUT
Permit Processing
Req. Code
Update
Special
Projects Pro.Code
Enforce
1 FTE
Vacant
$960,367 (Planning)
$367,392 (Building)
$1,356,756 (Dept Total)
Special
Projects
13 0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
Dept. Budget Staffing Tasks 4.0 FTEs
Required
Housing
Programs
Fee Revenue Gen.Fund
Grant
HUT
Permit Processing
Req. Code
Update
Special
Projects
Pro.Code
Enforce
(10%, - $135,676)
Additional Tasks
• Special programs (e.g. vacation rentals)
• Plan updates (e.g. bike/ped plan)
• Pro-active code enforcement
• Add revenue (e.g. grants)
• Expedited processing
Base Line Tasks
• Permit Intake
• Public Inquiries
• Building Reviews
• Planning Reviews (permit
streamlining)
• Required housing program
implementation
• State required code updates
Planning & Building
10% Reduction
Climate & Environment
FY 26-27 Draft Budget
Program Implementation
• $20,500
Supplies
• $7000
Dues & Subscriptions
• $6,500
Meeting/Travel
• $200
Salary & Benefits
• 1.0 FTE (Shared with San Anselmo)
Replace old gas HVAC units in
Police Dept. and Town Hall ($100K
grant and $20K match, $500 for
outreach)
Marin Climate and Energy Partnership
• Compliance with CA laws on waste &
fleet electrification
• Implement Climate Action Plan (CAP)
• Secure grant funding
• Education / Outreach
• Climate Action Committee admin
Climate & Environment
Draft Budget with 10% Reduction
Program Implementation
• $10,000
Supplies
• $0
Dues & Subscriptions
• $6,000
Meeting/Travel
• $0
Salary & Benefits
• 1.0 FTE (Shared with San Anselmo)
Unable to receive $100,000
HVAC grant without match
Marin Climate and Energy
Partnership
• Decrease in Waste, Transportation,
& Electrification programs
• Increase in non-compliance fines
(up to $10K daily)
• Delay in reaching CAP goals
Recreation – Special Events & Art
FY 26-27 Draft Budget + 10% Reduction
16 What We Provide
•Town-wide events & community traditions
•Arts & culture programming
•Partnership events with local organizations
Examples
•Town Picnic, Egg Hunt
•Fairfax Art Walk, Alice in Wonderland Tea
•Soup Walk, Bingo, Winter Market
Budget Supports
•Part-time staffing
•Contract services & partnerships
•Supplies, logistics, and outreach $175K → $159K (–$16K) With 10% Reduction
Reduced staff hours, event
reductions, and eliminating the Artist
in Residence Collaborative
Impacts
•Fewer community events
•Reduced arts programming
•Loss of partnership-based events
•Increased fees for remaining
programs
Recreation – Community Programs
FY 26-27 Draft Budget + 10% Reduction
17 What We Provide
•Health & wellness programs
•Social services & community support
•Inclusive programming for all ages
Examples
•Free Age-Friendly Yoga, Craft Faire
•New Parents & Babies programming
•Food Bank & Community Garden
Budget Supports
•Part-time staffing
•Program specific supplies & services
•Community partnerships $136K → $129K (–$6K)
With 10% Reduction
Reduced staffing hours + limited
programs, and increased rates for
residents.
Impacts
•Reduction or elimination of free programs
•Decreased support for vulnerable
populations
•Reduced access to services
•Increased participant fees
Recreation – Summer Programs
FY 26-27 Draft Budget + 10% Reduction
18 What We Provide
•Summer camps and youth
programming
•Seasonal recreation
opportunities
$31.8K → $29.6K (–$2.2K)
With 10% Reduction
Reduced staffing hours, increased
rates, and scaled back
programming.
Impacts
•Fewer camp offerings or reduced
enrollment
•Increased fees for families
•Reduced seasonal programming
Town Clerk, Elections, & Technology
FY 26-27 Draft Budget
19 Core Functions (Required)
• Administer elections (fixed statutory
timelines)
• Brown Act compliance (72-hour agendas /
24-hour special meetings)
• Public Records Act responses (10-day
statutory deadline)
• FPPC filings & disclosure statutory deadlines
(Form 700, campaign statements)
• Legal noticing & publication requirements
• Records retention per State law
Council & Governance
• Agendas, minutes, meeting support
• Legal noticing & transparency
Staffing
• 2.0 FTE
Technology
• Support interdepartmental technology
coordination (IT, communications, data
systems)
What Residents Experience
• Timely records & responses
• Up-to-date website & notices posting
• Outreach & community communications Total Budgets: $385,000 Town Clerk, Elections, & Technology
Draft Budget with 10% Reduction
20 Staffing Change
• Eliminate 1.0 FTE (Admin Analyst)
• Service Shift
• Focus on mandated services
only
Maintained (Deadline-Driven)
• Elections administration
• Brown Act agenda posting timelines
• Public Records Act response
deadlines
• FPPC and legal filings
• Council meeting support
Reduced / Eliminated
• Communications & outreach
• Website updates (limited)
• Data analysis & reporting
• Internal departmental support
Impacts
• Slower response times
• Reduced community engagement
• Increased risk of missing statutory
deadlines
• Increased workload on single position
Public Works
FY 26-27 Draft Budget
21 • PW Department has four funds:
• PW Admin
• Street Maintenance
• Parks Maintenance
• Streetlights
• These largely fund routine maintenance for roads, parks, trees, streetlights, and storm drains. Along with annual fees for stormwater programs, permits, street sweeping, and 5.0 FTE. • Additional planned maintenance: curb painting
• Total Budget = $1,408,000
Public Works
Draft Budget with 10% Reduction
22 • Eliminate 1.0 FTE + reducing operational costs
• Major Impacts:
• Safety impacts - one person on storm patrol
• Slower storm response and reduced proactive storm prep • Some work no longer feasible in-house due to decreased staffing
• Greater reliance on contractors
• Total Budget Reduced by ~ $140,000
Special Revenues
23 Debt Service & Fiduciary Funds
24 Capital Improvement Appropriations
Highlights
CIP appropriations $5.1M (down $225k from FY26 budget)
• Road Projects - FY27 $542k (FY26 $760k)
• Fire Station 21 Improvements - $1.6m (total project cost) • Financed by 5-year county loan
• Payments from General Fund
• Stormwater Drains – Park Road
• Funded from existing federal ARPA revenues
• Total project cost is $1,940,000 over two fiscal years 25 Capital Improvement Appropriations
Draft Budget with 10% Reduction
• The following projects will use monies from the general fund:
• Pavilion Roof
• BPMP Bridge
• Creek Road Bridge
• Sidewalk Grant Program
• Reduction: Eliminate the Sidewalk Grant Program
• Budget Reduction ~ $10,000
26 Capital Improvement Funds
27 Revenue Enhancement Options
Voter approval to renew and raise
district sales tax from 3/4% to 1.0%
Raises $370,000+
Requires 50%+1 voter approval
Increase Fees Requires a fee study.
Special Tax for Public Safety Requires supermajority vote of the people. Measure F sunsets in 2031.
Road Bond Requires 2/3 vote of the people.
(Attempted and Failed in 2024)
28 Fiscal Year
2026-2027
Budget Workshop
Council Questions & Discussion
Budget Hearing: April 15, 2026
Budget Hearing: May 6, 2026
Budget Adoption: June 3, 2026
29