Who pays for the Windsor Day Parade? Today the Town funds it, along with the Farmers Market, Summer Nights on the Green and Fiestas Patrias. The Town's backup budget for a failed Measure I would end that funding. A passing Measure I would add general revenue without setting any of it aside for those events.
Windsor incorporated in 1992. According to the Press Democrat, it is still an outlier among local cities because it has no supplemental tax supporting its general fund or any specific town service. Measure I would add a one-cent sales tax and bring the town's rate to 10.25%. The Town's backup plan if voters say no puts the biggest single cut on the events that fill the Town Green.
Where the count stood on Nov. 5
The question on the ballot read:
Shall the measure establishing a 1% sales tax, providing approximately $5,700,000 annually until ended by voters, requiring independent audits, citizen oversight, and all funds remaining in Windsor under local control, be adopted?
In the Nov. 5 update, Yes had 2,790 votes, or 51.05%, and No had 2,675, or 48.95%. That tally counted 5,714 ballots out of 17,917 issued in Windsor, about a third. The Press Democrat's Nov. 6 business roundup described it as a 115-vote lead. A general sales tax needs a simple majority to pass.
Mail ballots postmarked on time could arrive through Nov. 10. Under the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters election calendar, the deadline to deliver certified results to local governing bodies is Dec. 3, 2026. The Town Council then declares the result. With a margin this small and most ballots still uncounted on Nov. 5, Dec. 3 is the date that settles it.
The calendar was in the cut list before the vote
Windsor has been trimming for a while. The ordinance behind Measure I says the Town has already cut about $6 million in operating costs, eliminated three police positions, left vacancies open, put off millions of dollars in road, building and park work, and used about $8 million in reserves. Without new ongoing revenue, it projects a $4 million to $5 million deficit every year starting in fiscal year 2027–28.
In June, Town staff showed the council a "Plan B" for a No vote. It called for another 15% to 20% cut in each department, on top of 25% in cumulative cuts over the previous two years. The draft cut nearly $3.15 million and still left an $850,000 gap to cut later or cover from reserves. Mayor Rosa Reynoza told the Press Democrat, "Everything is on the table," and called the plan "a gut check."
Parks and recreation took the largest cut in that draft, $1 million, close to a third of the $3.15 million total. Here is how the Plan B line items reported by the Press Democrat would show up around town:
| Plan B cut | Amount | What it would change |
|---|---|---|
| Parks and recreation | $1,000,000 | Ends Town funding for the Farmers Market, Windsor Day Parade, Summer Nights on the Green and Fiestas Patrias, plus public art and nonprofit grants |
| Public works | $450,000 | Less staff time for potholes, flooding, graffiti, broken signals and streetlights; no traffic control for events like Summer Nights on the Green |
| Community development | $430,000 | Ends proactive code enforcement; staff would handle "life-safety" cases only, so overgrown weeds, inoperable cars and short-term rental complaints would drop down the list |
| Economic development | $80,000 | Would likely end the Windsor Visitors Center contract and reduce advertising for local businesses |
| Town clerk | $80,000 | Live-streaming of public meetings would likely be reduced or eliminated |
Taken together, the table shows how a summer evening on the Town Green would change. The concerts would lose their funding, and the crews who close streets and direct traffic for them would also be cut. The ordinance's broader list of risks includes possible park closures and the elimination of youth, senior and community recreation programs. These were proposals presented before the election, not cuts already made.
Policing was handled separately. Windsor contracts with the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office for police, and the Press Democrat reported that the contract has gone up $2 million, or 26%, over the past two fiscal years. Town Manager Jon Davis said salary increases, overtime and administrative overhead drove most of that increase. That is one reason the Plan B squeeze fell so hard on the departments that run the calendar.
If Measure I passes
The Town's own estimates of the revenue differ slightly. The ballot question says about $5.7 million a year. Economic development manager Tim Ricard gave the Press Democrat a figure of $5.5 million, against a general fund of $24.8 million. Either way, the new revenue is larger than the $4 million to $5 million annual gap the ordinance projects.
The money would not show up right away. The ordinance takes effect at the start of the first calendar quarter more than 110 days after the Nov. 3 election, which is April 1, 2027. A Town agenda report says revenue would start with the first state allocation on that date. Until then, the Town keeps working with the budget it already has.
The tax has no sunset. The money goes to the general fund, and the measure includes an appointed oversight committee and annual audits, as the Press Democrat reported in October. The ballot text lists street repair, police patrols, emergency response, parks, community events, disaster preparedness and fire prevention as possible priorities. Because it is a general tax, none of them is guaranteed a set amount.
If it fails
The Town would need $4 million to $5 million in additional recurring cuts each year, starting in fiscal year 2027–28. The June Plan B list is the most detailed public picture of what those cuts could include. Vice Mayor Tanya Potter raised a concern about one part of it in the Press Democrat: "We can't cut economic development, but then try to say we're growing economic development." She added that tourism was down and local businesses were closing.
The case the No side made
Concerned Windsor Citizens organized the opposition, chaired by John Leyba. In a Press Democrat opinion piece, he argued that a No vote would push the Town toward fiscal reform. The opposition said the tax has no sunset, is regressive, and can be spent on any legitimate government purpose. They also said Town leaders had not done enough to reform management or control costs. The official ballot argument against the measure said the Town has too many management positions and should restructure before raising taxes. It also pointed to the cost for working families and low-income seniors.
Both sides agree the budget is short. They disagree on whether new revenue or restructuring should close the gap. The full measure, the impartial analysis and both ballot arguments are in the county's Measure I document.
The dates that decide next season
The vote is only the first date that matters for next year's Town Green calendar. The rest come from the Registrar and the Town's own budget schedule:
- Dec. 3, 2026. Deadline for the Registrar to certify results to the Town.
- January 2027. Mid-year review of the Town's 2025–27 budget.
- February 2027. The 2027–29 two-year budget process begins.
- April 1, 2027. Collection starts if the measure is certified as passed.
- Fiscal year 2027–28. The recurring $4 million to $5 million in cuts begins if the measure is certified as failed.
Whichever way the count ends, the January and February budget meetings are where the council will weigh funding for the Farmers Market, the parade and the summer concerts. Those meetings are usually live-streamed, though the Plan B list includes cutting the live stream.
This post is general information about a local tax measure and is not tax or financial advice. Please check with a qualified professional about how it affects you.
If you own in Windsor and want to know how changes in town services might affect your plans for the next year or two, Michael Pellegrini can walk through your options with you, no pressure.
