Agency executive director outlines $40M Natomas funding push and targets up to $50M in bond refunding

Jason Campbell, executive director of the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency, told the board on March 19 that staff are pressing federal and appropriations officials for project funding in fiscal year 2027 and preparing internal financing to keep projects moving.

Campbell said the agency has submitted community project funding requests and is ‘‘continuing to advance the discussion with the folks on the hill as well as headquarters and the Corps of Engineers, appropriations committees, and others’’ to secure FY27 resources. He said the agency is advancing a roughly $40,000,000 request for Natomas Basin construction work in coming years.

Campbell also updated the board on Folsom work, saying appropriations for certain Folsom activities are fully funded but that future items may need additional money. He described plans for advocacy and attendance at congressional “cap to cap” meetings and the national waterways conference to press the agency’s requests.

On internal financing, Campbell said staff are conducting cash‑flow and refunding analyses and plan to present engagement letters for bond counsel and underwriters. "We are targeting a May board authorization for bond issuance," he said, adding that market conditions will affect timing and pricing; he estimated the refunding could generate as much as "$50,000,000" depending on markets.

A board member asked about the timing of a proof‑of‑concept gate at Folsom; Campbell said the initial gate proof of concept is anticipated around October and will inform subsequent gate work.

Campbell also said staff are preparing the agency’s FY27 budget and evaluating strategic spending reductions to prepare for potential slowdowns in state match funding.

Next steps include continued federal advocacy, completion of the refunding analysis and presentation of the bond authorization request to the board in May, and continued budget preparation ahead of FY27.

Provenance: The executive director’s full update and the follow‑up question about Folsom gate schedule were recorded during the executive director’s report portion of the agenda.