Consequences if we don't pass Measure I
Stripped Down Services
What happens to our town if we do NOT pass the 1-cent (1%) sales tax? It's pretty drastic.
Basically, the town will start to go downhill. Fast.
Windsor will have no way to fix its $4 million per year budget shortfall. The cuts will start immediately.
Our Town will have to cut more than $4.2 million from its annual budget, permanently. That equals 33 of Windsor's 117 full-time employees. That's 28.2 percent of the Town's workforce. Almost one third. They'll lose their jobs. And we'll lose all the services they provide.
We think that's a lot like cutting a third of the chefs and kitchen staff at a good restaurant when meat and ingredient costs are on the rise, and leaving the remaining waiters to explain to customers why it's taking so long to get their food.
What, exactly, will be slashed from the services we get from the Town now?
Everything below is on the table. You'll find all the proposed people, programs and services cuts below, listed by department.
Sources: All information comes from the Town of Windsor Plan B Budget Powerpoint presentation to the Town Council on June 3. Other sources include staff reports, Powerpoint presentations, pdfs, and archived videos of presentations to Town Hall meetings, Town Council and Town commissions.
Windsor Police
This year, the Windsor Police Department was unable to fill three jobs left vacant when officers left. The positions have been frozen until the town has enough funding to pay for them.
They've already taken a cut of $300,000.
The three police positions lost were a K-9 Officer and dog, a Traffic Officer, and a Sergeant.
Windsor contracts with the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office to provide our Town's police department. Our WPD officers are Deputy Sheriffs assigned to Windsor only.
Their wages, health care, and pensions are paid by the Sheriff's Office, not the Town. The Sheriff's Office also provides the patrol cars, weapons, supplies, and training required by officers.
For 2026, the Sheriff's Office raised the cost of the contract for providing Windsor's police force by 22%. Sheriff Eddie Engram cited sharp increases in the cost of supplies, fuel, health insurance, wages and benefits as the reason.
Despite good faith negotiations, the 22% increase never budged. Given the new cost of the contract, Windsor is unable to hire for those three lost officer positions until the Town finds a permanent, stable source of funding to pay them.
Even with the jump in prices for the police services contract with the Sheriff, creating our own Town police force would still be much more expensive. The Town would be responsible for officers' law enforcement pensions, health insurance, patrol cars, and other expenses.
Consequences:
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Potential for longer emergency response times for 911 calls
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Less time spent patrolling Windsor streets for traffic violations, including speeding cars, motorcycles, and e-bikes.
See WPD Chief Gregory Piccinini's June 3 presentation
to the Windsor Town Council.
(Powerpoint)
Read Chief Piccinini's full written report from June 3
(pdf)
Public Works
The water and sewer plant equipment, operating expenses, and employee costs are paid by Windsor water & sewer bills. What's left to cut in Public Works is street maintenance and repair.
Public Works will take a $450,000 budget cut. That works out to 4 employee layoffs from the streets division.
All street repairs not posing an immediate health or safety hazard will take much longer to be fixed. So will broken streetlights, and graffiti removal.
Public Works already has $5 million in street maintenance project that are on the "deferred maintenance" list. They will remain there until the Town finds money to complete them.
According to a consultant's report presented to the Town Council in May 2025, Windsor:
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Has 86 miles of paved roads right now
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They're worth $565 million (replacement value if destroyed)
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$1 million = Roughly the amount Windsor gets annually from statewide road and gas taxes
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$ 2 million = Amount Windsor gets from regional road funding and grants
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$3 million = total of above gas tax and other state funding per year.
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$7 million = Amount Windsor should be spending each year to keep our streets in the (ranked "fair") condition they are now
Parks & Recreation
Parks and Recreation will take the biggest hit if Measure I does not pass. While parks are essential to physical and neighborhood health - they are not considered "essential" for health and safety. It's set for $1 million in cuts.
Scroll down to see how much will go away.
Parks
The Parks Department will lose 6 full-time employees, and all the services they provide.
Consequences:
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Park Restroom Service Reductions. Instead of being cleaned and serviced daily, park restrooms would only be cleaned 2-3 times a week.
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Dramatic reduction in mowing at all city parks. Instead of greens mowed once or twice per week, schedule cut to 2 to 4 times per month.
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Sports teams asked to play for extra mowing on playing greens to keep players safe during games/matches.
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Pruning for safety hazards only. Trees, bushes, and other landscaping will only be pruned if branches or plants present a health or safety hazard.
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No free dog waste bags at parks. This is likely to result in more dog droppings across park lawns and playing fields.
Recreation
Funding for Windsor's popular concerts on the Town Green, parades, and Farmers Market will be eliminated starting in 2027.
Some of Windsor's most popular events will lose all funding from the Town starting in 2027 if Measure I does not pass. They inluce Windsor's signature Summer Concerts on the Town Green, Movie Nights on the Green, and parades.
If service clubs or private organizations want to step forward to fund Windsor parades, concerts and festivals, they will need to come up with the required $10,000 to $14,000 per event to finance events.
Sponsors will need to pay for their own liability insurance, security, set up, clean up, and band fees. They will also have to pay the Town of Windsor rent for the Town Green space, plus fees for street closures.
Recreation programs will lose 2.5 full-time employees, and the services they provide
Consequences:
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Financial and in-kind sponsorship for special events, including parades, will be eliminated.
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Senior Center Pool Season will be reduced to June-September only.
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Fees for all Recreation programs will increase.
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All Summer Nights on the Green events will be 100% funded by private sponsors, in 2027 and throughout the future.
Following a sponsor drive, the Town will only schedule the number of concerts equal to the amount of funding raised and received.
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The Town will end its popular Trick or Treat Trail and Rec Party in the Park events.
Administrative Services
This department includes Information Technology (computers and databases and stored data).
It also handles the Town's accounting: payroll, accounts receivable, accounts payable. Billing for water and sewer accounts, plus the business license program.
Administrative Services has one full-time position on hold already. It will be asked to cut one more. The work of the two will be spread among remaining employees, increasing customer and resident waits for service.
Total cuts are $550,000.
Consequences:
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Delay in implementing new IT system to replace aging legacy system.
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Increased cybersecurity risks (hacking, malware risks)
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Risk of missing federal data/IT compliance deadlines.
Community Development
The Community Development Department (Planning) will have to cut 3 employees. Total cuts are $430,000.
Service will take longer for contractors and developers seeking construction permits and plan reviews, building inspection for final permit sign-offs and certificates of completion.
The building code enforcement program will cease to be proactive. Building code, noise code, and other code violations will be done only after complaints are filed.
Consequences:
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Permit counter service eliminated. Advance appointments required for tree removal, reroofing, water heater installations, window replacement permits.
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Extended review timeline for construction project and development permits.
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Code enforcement prioritized to health and safety hazards. Longer delays in responding to complaints of noise, overgrown vegetation, abandoned cars, vacation rental violation complaints.
Town Manager's Office
The Town Manager's Office includes Town Manager Jon Davis, the TOW Economic Development Manager, one management analyst, an operations manager, and also the Town Attorney.
Windsor contracts with a law firm for attorney services, and the budget for the Town Attorney is included in the Town Manager's Office.
The Office will have its budget cut by $100,000.
Consequences:
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Cutting one-half position (temp or consulting)
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Cuts to special project consultants
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Emergency Operations Center supplies and infrastructure put on hold indefinitely
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Longer wait times for responses to public requests
Town of Windsor web photo
Economic Development
The Economic Development Office includes Economic Development Manager Tim Ricard, as well as funding for advertising and promoting Windsor businesses.
The program budget will be cut $100,000.
Consequences:
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Eliminate the Windsor Visitors Center Contract
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End 7-day operations and Certified Tourism Ambassador services
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Significantly reduced tourism and 'Shop Local' advertising
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Less regional digital visibility
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Reduced support for downtown and small businesses
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Reduced conversion of visitors into sales and bed tax revenues
Town Clerk
The Windsor Town Clerk's office will have an $80,000 budget cut.
The Town Clerk's office is responsible for keeping the official records of everything the council decides, preparing and issuing all meeting agendas and minutes.
The Clerk is also in charge of the official paperwork for all Town elections and works with the Sonoma County Clerk on election matters.
The Town Clerk's Office will lose 1 employee.
Consequences:
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Elimination of streaming for some public meetings
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Late posting of public meeting agendas and materials, possibly resulting in state law violations
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Longer waits for citizens with requests, including Freedom of Information public records requests
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Increased exposure to lawsuits for missing state, federal and county document filing deadlines
Human Resources
Human Resources (Personnel) will take a $100,000 budget cut. The department will lose 1 full time employee.
Consequences:
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Delay in filling open positions
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Reduction in worker safety program
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Less attention managing workers compensation claims for on-the-job injuries
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Delay in legal compliance
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Slower response for personnel related matters
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Major reduction in employee training programs
Town Council
The Town Council will take a $60,000 budget cut.
Consequences:
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Reduced funding for council meeting translation
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Reduced legal and legislative training for council members
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Fewer workshops, town halls, and educational events on community issues
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Reduced opportunities to gather public input on strategic projects and priorities
