RANCHO MURIETA, CA (MPG) - Unlike two years ago, when a sizable protest halted a proposed rate increase by the Rancho Murieta Community Services District (CSD), this year’s budget process has proceeded smoothly.

Only six residents filed objections before this year’s deadline, which was the May 15 board meeting. Additionally, no one requested to speak during the public hearings on the proposed water, sewer, and solid waste rates. Hearings were not required for the security and drainage taxes, as these cannot increase by more than 2% per year.

Although the board won’t officially approve the 2024-25 budget until June 5, the directors addressed the preliminaries that included waiving a first reading of the ordinance and taking a budget presentation from Director of Finance and Administration Mark Matulich.

Following direction by four board members at the April meeting, Matulich prepared a "balanced budget" with approximately $9.2 million in revenues. Director Stephen Booth preferred an alternative that would have reduced the proposed rate increase to 9.77% by using some property taxes.

Under the proposed "balanced" budget, the average customer inside the gates will see their user rates increase by 12%, amounting to an additional $29.36 per month. This budget ensures that all funds, including water, wastewater, drainage, solid waste and security, remain solvent.

Additionally, it allows for all $925,000 of the anticipated property tax revenue to be deposited into the district’s underfunded reserves, which are used for the repair and replacement of infrastructure.

Matulich noted that figures for the “balanced budget” were the same as those he presented at the April meeting with the only difference being the addition of a fourth patrol position in security.

The written budget message prepared by General Manager Mimi Morris provided more details about the security position, although she wasn't able to attend the board meeting.

Morris said the security fund is expected to have a modest surplus of $24,000 in the next fiscal year due to two factors. 

The most significant was the recalibration of administrative overhead, which resulted in a $387,000 decrease from the upcoming budget compared to the fiscal year 2023/24.

Another factor was a decision “to flatten out the security organization chart by not replacing the security director position and instead having a lead gate officer and a patrol sergeant manage day-to-day operations,” she said.

The changes left enough room in the budget to add a fourth full-time patrol officer in the 2024/24 budget. 

“It’s not quite 24/7 coverage, but it is close,” Matulich told the board. 

In other business:

• The board voted to transfer the wooden bridge to the Rancho Murieta Association after years of difficulties in making it happen. 

• Approved a contract with the union that represents most of the district’s employees.