San Rafael is a full-service city providing police, fire protection and prevention, 9-1-1 emergency medical response, street and sidewalk maintenance, storm drainage and flood prevention, parks, recreation, and library services, traffic safety, code enforcement, emergency preparedness, and maintenance of public buildings and other public infrastructure.
The City maintains streets and sidewalks, city-operated parks, city-owned open space, storm drainage systems, traffic signals, public buildings, recreation facilities, and other public assets used daily by residents and visitors.
Streets, sidewalks, pipes, pumps, buildings, playgrounds, and other public facilities gradually age, deteriorate, and wear out over time. Routine maintenance extends their useful life and can reduce the cost of future repairs or replacement.
Deferred maintenance refers to repair or replacement work that is postponed because available funding is insufficient to complete it. Delaying maintenance can increase future repair costs and shorten the useful life of public facilities.
The City's most recent Pavement Condition Index (PCI) rated San Rafael's roads at 61, or “fair” condition. Maintaining the City's roads at this current condition would require augmenting existing annual street maintenance funding by approximately $2.5 to $3.0 million. The City's PCI has declined steadily since 2022, meaning existing funding (primarily state gas tax revenues) has not kept pace with maintenance needs.
The City has an estimated 250-300 miles of sidewalk citywide. The City has historically budgeted about $300,000 per year for its Sidewalk Repair Program, funding roughly 1.5–2 miles of sidewalk repair annually. An additional $1.5 million in annual funding for sidewalk maintenance would be required to achieve a 20-year sidewalk repair cycle.
Maintaining and replacing aging storm drain infrastructure is intended to help reduce flooding risk and protect homes, businesses, and public streets. The City has identified a funding gap of approximately $750,000 to $1,000,000 annually for storm drain infrastructure operations and capital needs.
The City's 2023 Parks and Recreation Master Plan estimates that adequately maintaining the park system requires approximately $1.5 million annually. Most City funding for park infrastructure comes from Measure A, a countywide sales tax renewed by voters in 2022, which provides approximately $560,000 per year for City park improvements. Funding for City park maintenance has an estimated ongoing shortfall of about $1.0 million per year.