The Rossmoor Community Services District at its Board of Directors meeting in June finally adopted its proposed budget for the 24/25 fiscal year, but not before adjusting two final categories.
The district will collect $2.2 million in overall revenues and spend $2.1 million according to the RCSD’s budget for fiscal 24/25. The RCSD General Manager Joe Mendoza and financial advisor Michael Matsumoto projects a small surplus for the upcoming budget year that begins July 1.
In addition, for the first time, the Board adopted a matching deferred compensation plan where the district will much as three percent of their salaries that they defer for retirement.
General Manager Joe Mendoza said the plan will not be offered to the General Manager, part-time staff, elected officials or contractors. Moreover, said Mendoza, the new employee plan is expected to cost the RCSD about $10.883 for the year if all eligible employees take the full three percent.
In addition, district employees will see a three percent (3%) cost of living raise in the new budget.
Michael Maynard, RCSD President, thanked Mendoza and the team for putting together the program as the board voted 4-0 to approve the budget, which includes the planned employee benefit.
Before final approval, however, Director Nathan Searles peppered Mendoza with questions surrounding the moving of money for parks and parks projects.
He questioned an expenditure of $3700 for new park benches for Rush Park and transferring the money from an events category to pay for it.
Searles also asked about an expenditure for Elite Special Events during the recent Health and Wellness Festival that Mendoza said was for the printing of a banner.
Mendoza, supported by Matsumoto, said there was extra funding in the event account that he pulled the money from for these events.
“I’ll just summarize it was a general manager’s decision. If I didn’t make the right decision, and you want to move it back in there, I will,” said Mendoza.
Searles said his goal with the questioning was simply to have money within the RCSD budget moved into correct categories so that future budgets would reflect actual monies spent but he did suggest not all parks within Rossmoor are not being treated the same.
“I think one of the very common discussions we’ve been had in the last year, roughly, is about how much money is spent in each park,” said Searles, and “how one park in a particular part of the neighborhood doesn’t get the same resources that the other park does.”
Mendoza suggested Searles was suggesting favoritism, which he strongly rejected.
“What you’re bringing out in this kind of debate,” said Mendoza, is “you’re actually saying that we’re showing favoritism, and that’s not even close. So my point is, if you want a breakout, I will put that mic now break it out. We’ll show you what the breakout is. We’re gonna we’re just going on an as-needed basis of what each party and I don’t think anybody’s showing favoritism, That’s not even close, okay,”
Matsumoto said currently, only the larger capital projects are coded (accounting) for specific parks. In addition, he said the banner printing could have also been coded in the “printing” budget.”
At one time, Maynard seemed to defuse the debate, saying the questions by Searles were perhaps sounding a bit too “accusatory.” In addition, he wondered aloud why the board needed to be involved in such “minutia.”
Searles asked that his opposition to this type of action be officially noted in the record. Mendoza said he would get the data requested to Searles and make the changes requested by the board.
Searles was not yet finished.
He asked why the budget contained more than $60,000 for legal services when the district averages between $20 – 30,000 annually, also questioning a smaller over-budget surplus amount in the TV broadcasting budget.
Mendoza said it’s better to make a mid-year adjustment and be prepared rather than not having enough in the event of special meetings or circumstances.
After a long discussion, the board unanimously agreed to reduce the over-budget to $2,000 in the broadcasting budget and max out legal fees at 45k.
Satisfied, the board voted as reported above, unanimously 4-0. Director Dr. Jeffrey Barkey was not present for the June meeting.
