Park Residents Sound Alarm on Surprise $15K Tax as Board Approves $8M in Contracts

Five district employees living in park housing packed the board room to protest a December decision that could add up to $14,000 in annual taxable income, while the East Bay Regional Park District Board of Directors moved unanimously on major contracts for Bay Trail construction, waste collection, and goat grazing — locking in millions in spending and savings for the years ahead.

• Park residents mobilize against surprise housing tax, citing IRS exemption criteria and warning a 90-year security residency program could collapse

• $887K boost approved for Bay Trail construction management at Point Molate, keeping the $13.5M joint project with Richmond on track

• Competitive bidding saves district $100K/year on waste collection, with plans to expand the model district-wide

• $5.9M in goat grazing contracts renewed for fire hazard reduction across nearly 1,000 acres

• Superfund cap repair advances 6-0-1 after director raises monitoring and public disclosure concerns

• Tilden steam train operator warns 7.5-year lease impasse may force closure of a 74-year institution

• Board preps DC advocacy trip as proposed federal legislation threatens rail-banking for Bay Trail expansion

Five park district employees who live in on-site housing delivered the most intense public comment of the evening, opposing a December 2025 internal decision to treat the gap between their rent and fair market value as taxable income — a change that could cost some residents more than $14,000 a year.