The town will receive $16,511,700 in new, unencumbered money from the federal government and from Palos Colorados:
$2,587,700 in federal funds to reimburse the town almost 90% for the sinkhole repair
$2,924,000 from the feds to reimburse the town almost 90% for the Canyon Bridge replacement (and an amount unknown from EBMUD, which owns the landslide area that knocked it out)
$11,000,000 in Palos Colorados settlement payments
Despite the town's frequent statement, "we don't really know when or if we will receive these funds," almost $2,500,000 will be arriving (or already has arrived) in March with the balance of all federal funds fully expected beginning in July 2018 or soon thereafter (see pp2-3 here).
Despite these known receipts of over $16.5MM that are 2x the town’s annual budget, the town nonetheless retains its "declaration of fiscal emergency" and still wants residents to pay a new storm drain tax of $800,000 per year, forever.
Moreover, the proposed storm drain tax has 30%-40% contingencies built-in, duplicates existing taxes already being paid (articles here and here), and double-dips on specific projects for which it already has secured grant money but still wants 100% of it from residents (article here).
As mentioned in this article, Moraga has changed from a minimal government town to one where necessities like roads (and now storm drains) have become a la carte choices.
The haste to enact a storm drain tax (fee) with the pretext of a fiscal emergency, in the context of all this money being received, makes little sense.