San Ramon Strips Contested Fees, Approves Pride Flag 3-1 as Revenue Growth Stalls

San Ramon's City Council tackled a sprawling April 14 agenda that exposed fault lines on government expression, fee transparency and the city's fiscal outlook. A Pride flag resolution drew the council's first-ever dissenting vote, a 1,013-item fee schedule was adopted only after two new charges were stripped out under public pressure, and a budget workshop revealed general fund revenue growth has slowed to a fraction of its historical pace—setting up a high-stakes expense debate later this month.

• Master fee schedule adopted 4-0 after council removes firearm storage and collection agency fees for insufficient public documentation; remaining 1,011 fees take effect July 1

• Pride flag resolution passes 3-1, the first no vote on the annual display, as council sends the five-year-old flag policy to committee for review

• General fund revenue growth stalls at 0.45%—a $1.3M Measure N shortfall from weak auto sales and a 30% franchise fee decline leave the city far below its 4% historical average

• City reports just 2.5% voluntary turnover and 28 internal promotions in 2025, running roughly 100 fewer employees than comparable Walnut Creek

• San Ramon Valley Islamic Center launches biweekly food distribution for 150 families through a new Contra Costa Food Bank partnership

The second reading of the FY 2026-27 master fee schedule (Resolution 2026-047) became the night's longest public hearing, drawing seven speakers and pointed questions from every seated council member over a document covering 1,013 individual fees.