(SAN RAMON, CA.) – “A basic tenet of a healthy democracy is open dialogue and transparency,” political strategist and owner of Fenn Communications Group Peter H. Fenn once said.
Whether it’s financial investment, infrastructure development, or funding, governments play a key role in communicating major decisions to their citizens, ensuring that rights are upheld, and representation is ample.
Many citizens believe that it is a government’s civic duty to keep the public informed.
City council meetings in San Ramon provide an allotted amount of time for the public to make comments, and the meeting on Apr. 28, 2026 revealed that some residents were unhappy with the recent financial undertakings of the city.
In fact, residents were more unhappy with the fact that they are not even aware of what decisions have been made by the city council, leading to distress due to having uncertainty behind changes that impact their everyday lives.
“There was so much material presented, and everything was clear as mud,” public commenter Elena Formosa said.
Photo Credit: City of San Ramon / Youtube - Public Commenter Elena Formosa
Formosa described the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) as a functional and legitimate system.
According to the City of San Ramon, the CIP is used by the city for multi-year planning to identify necessary capital projects while balancing the financing and scheduling of civic improvements to provide optimal benefits to the community. The program is designed as a five-year investment plan for basic improvements to infrastructure.
This plan ranks projects by necessity and assesses the method of financing, as well as the expected costs and revenues that will be realized during that period. The CIP is a directive to identify the needs for the current and upcoming fiscal year, serving as a baseline starting point for the city budget.
“The way [city council] is trying to disguise CIP as some sort of blanket request that is going to be disguised like our consent agenda where you don't really need any accountability under the umbrella of infrastructure maintenance fund is the reason why you're not balancing your budgets,” Formosa said.
“I am very puzzled by councilmember Rubio's comment about free money,” Formosa said. “What money is free? That money is from me, taxpayers’ money.
“That's what CIP is- to hold the government accountable.”
Formosa then went to question the validity of the financial statistics that had been presented at the meeting.
Photo Credit: City of San Ramon / Youtube - General Fund Statistics
“You have an average growth under personnel cost at 1.57%,” Formosa said. “You have an average growth of 5% under professional consulting services which is 10.5% of our budget amounting to almost $9 million…and then the utilities and maintenance which should cover our roads which is at 7.7% budget and then growth. I think there's a mistake- the probability of it both coming to 7.7% is almost impossible.”
Formosa then stated how the expenditure growth being 2.61% makes her further question the accuracy of the statistics presented above, questioning how such numbers were actually calculated.
“For accounting, every picture you paint, you need to be able to ballpoint and substantiate it- support it,” Formosa said. “I did not see that at all with tonight's presentation. It is a child's play.”
After Formosa’s speaking time elapsed, Vice Mayor Marisol Rubio clarified that when discussing finances, she was referring to grant state and federal grant money, not city tax money.
Photo Credit: City of San Ramon / Youtube - Vice Mayor Marisol Rubio
As San Ramon moves forward with long-term infrastructure planning and budget discussions, residents like Formosa are making it clear that they want more than presentations- they want accountability and meaningful transparency from the officials representing them.
For many residents, the issue is not simply how money is being spent, but whether the public is being given a fair opportunity to fully understand and question the decisions shaping the city’s future.
To add to or correct any information in this report, please email me at yashi.s@lead4earth.org or leave a comment below.
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