Oroville outlines $17 million in projects and $9 million reserve in State of the City address

City Administrator Brian Ring outlined the city's finances and a slate of capital projects during the April 28 State of the City address at the State Theater.

Ring said the city has not drawn on its emergency reserve and confirmed, "No, we haven't spent a penny of the reserve. The reserve was established by... It's $9,000,000. It's about 33% of our budget," characterizing the fund as protection for major emergencies.

He said Oroville's operational budget is about $27 million and the council has identified roughly $17 million for major project work this fiscal year, with much of that funding coming from restricted grant awards and impact fees. "A lot of it comes from grants," Ring said; he added that some grants for recent work included BCAG funding for preliminary design and engineering for the Table Mountain/Washington corridor.

Key capital items Ring highlighted included $6.8 million directed to Hewitt Park work; design and preliminary engineering for a proposed $30 million upgrade on the Table Mountain/Washington corridor; sewer system investments including design on Orange Wood and Riverview Terrace lift stations and a larger sanitary sewer master plan; and roadway projects including Montgomery Roundabout repairs and Norton Avenue rehabilitation. He said some projects already in design would require additional grant applications to move to construction.

Ring described several municipal funding sources for projects: restricted grants, impact fees paid by developers, capital project funds and sewer fund revenues for sewer-specific work. He also reported the city maintains a significant loan portfolio and cash reserves: "We have $50,000,000 in cash on hand," Ring said while reviewing finance office responsibilities.

The presentation emphasized that many major projects will rely on outside grant funding and that operational resources remain constrained: Ring warned that flat sales tax revenues and rising labor costs make the coming year "a tight year" for operations, even as capital work proceeds.

The council adopted the meeting agenda at the start of the evening (roll call vote: 5 yes, 0 no, 2 absent). Ring closed by reminding residents to use the city's new 311 system for nonemergency service requests. The council adjourned with its next regular meeting scheduled for May 5, 2026, at 4 p.m.