From road repairs to park upgrades, Napa’s latest budget begins to chart the impact of its new sales tax.
When Napa asked voters to approve a new sales tax last year, city officials made a pitch steeped in promises: safer streets, better parks, modern fire stations and insulation from economic whiplash.
Now, that promise is beginning to materialize.
In a landmark vote this month, the City Council approved a spending plan that marks a turning point — the first budget infused with Measure G funding, totaling $45.5 million over the next two years. The money boosts Napa’s general fund and gives the city latitude to invest not just in maintenance, but transformation.
That influx helped push the city’s general fund budget to $163.2 million in 2025-26 — a 13% increase over the current year’s $144.6 million — and $168.2 million the following year.
In all, the city plans to spend $403.9 million in 2025-26 and $396.1 million in 2026-27, fueling a long list of projects aimed at reshaping life in Napa.
Among them:
- $34.7 million for street and traffic safety.
- $14.2 million for water utility infrastructure, including pipeline, pump and facility upgrades.
- $11.2 million for park renovations and amenities.
- $2 million to upgrade aging fire stations.
- $1.9 million to remake a police youth unit into a broader Community Services Bureau.
Major corridors — including Trancas Street, Soscol Avenue and California Boulevard — are slated for repaving and pedestrian improvements as part of the city’s multiyear push to modernize heavily used roads. Those three routes are scheduled for work in 2025-26, followed by Pueblo Avenue, Coombs Street, Trower Avenue and Coombsville Road the next year. All are paid for, in part, by Measure G.
In the city’s park system, restrooms at Century Oaks Park, Fuller Park and Westwood Hills Park will be renovated or replaced, part of a broader effort to upgrade aging amenities and expand access. That work is moving forward, but some of the most visible changes remain under discussion.
A proposed splash pad, once assigned $4 million in funding, is now back on the drawing board after a council vote earlier this month redirected the money to a broader pool for recreational planning. Also up for debate is the potential acquisition of the former Harvest Middle School campus, a move that could significantly increase the city’s park and programming space.
Both ideas remain in play, and city officials say they expect more public discussion in the coming months as they weigh how to allocate the remaining Measure G funds.
The city has already spent its first $5 million in Measure G revenue, funding street repairs, park improvements and new shade canopies in the Westwood neighborhood.
At a June 17 city meeting, council member Bernie Narvaez said the budget sends a clear message to the community that the city is prioritizing investment in streets, parks and recreation.
Council member Mary Luros called the tax an “amazing opportunity” to invest in quality of life while making city finances more resilient.
“I feel really good about the stability of our organization and the exciting things that we can accomplish,” she said.
She added that future discussions will determine how to allocate the remaining $8.5 million set aside for recreation, including whether the splash pad or Harvest site move forward.
Mayor Scott Sedgley said improving park amenities is a long-term investment that will reverberate for generations.
“Maybe in this next budget cycle we’ll be challenged with how to figure that all out,” Sedgley said. “That would be a great thing to work on.”
You can reach Staff Writer Edward Booth at 707-521-5281 or [email protected].
