City Budget

The City Manager releases a proposed budget every April in accordance with the City’s Charter, which include both a proposed Operating Budget and a proposed Capital Budget along with a five-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). The City’s Operating Budget supports services such as library, recreation, art and human services, and fire and police. The City’s Capital budget is focused on capital and infrastructure project investments.

Of the City of Palo Alto’s General Fund operation budget, sixty percent of General Fund revenues go towards providing essential City’s services such as police and fire services, community and library services and more. The General Fund comprises approximately 27.2% of the total citywide expense budget. About 58% of all annual General Fund revenues are from taxes such as Property Tax, Sales Tax, and Transient Occupancy Tax. The remaining revenue sources include fees and charges from residents and businesses, charges to other funds for services provided, and rental income. The capital budget accounts for funding programmed to build, repair, and upgrade the City’s infrastructure such as roads, buildings, electric transmission lines, gas and sewer pipes, and the City’s fleet of vehicles.

“Our City at Work” is a services guide and complements the City of Palo Alto’s budget, highlighting the work that our staff do every day to support all Palo Alto residents. From our Fire Department to our Information Technology Department, we work together to deliver cost-effective services in a personal, responsive and innovative way.

View the City Services Guide(PDF, 27MB).

City of Palo Alto Organizational Chart (as of May 4, 2021): The Organizational Chart (as of May 4, 2021)(PDF, 824KB) displays a point in time of the divisional structure and manager to employee span of control for each City department. These charts display City Council authorized staffing levels as of May 2021, and do not show staffing changes recommended in the FY 2022 Proposed Budget, as those changes have not been approved by the City Council. These charts show vacant positions as of May 2021, but do not show temporarily approved staffing needs as a result of vacancies across the City.

City Budgets

FY 2020-2021 Budgets

• FY 2020-2021 Municipal Fee Schedule
• FY 2020-2021 Adopted Operating Budget 
• FY 2020-2021 Adopted Capital Budget
• New! BLOG: Budget Deliberations Continue Next Week
• Budget Hearing Staff Report May 26 
• Budget Hearing Staff Report May 11-13
• Staff Report- May 4 Financial Scenarios
• FY 2020-2021 Operating and Capital Proposed Budgets Transmittal Letter
• FY 2020-2021 Proposed Operating Budget
• FY 2020-2021 Proposed Capital Budget
• FY 2020-2021 Budget Blog  - Discussing tough budget discussions underway in light of the current public health emergency

 Budget Survey Results

Thank you to the over 1300 survey respondents for your input!

May 11 Budget Summary Presentation

Watch the May 11 Budget Summary Presentation by the City’s City Manager and Chief Financial Officer.

Budget Hearing Videos

• Watch the full video of the May 12 Budget Hearing
• • Jump to the Public Safety City Service Area presentation
  • Jump to the Neighborhood, Community and Library City Services Area

• Watch the full video of the May 13 Budget Hearing
• • Jump to the continuation of the Neighborhood, Community Services, and Library City Service Area
  • Jump to the Municipal Fee Schedule
  • Jump to the Planning and Transportation City Service Area
  • Jump to the Infrastructure and Environment City Service Area
  • Jump to the Administration and Government/Internal Service City Service Area

• Watch the full video of the May 26 Budget Hearing
• • Jump to the revised FY 2020-2021 Proposed Operating and Capital Budgets Overview
  • Jump to CIP Balancing Strategy
    
    

Budget Hearing Materials

Staff Reports and Memos At Places

• May 11 Staff Report: Revised Proposed Operating and Capital Budgets Overview (CMR 11322)
• May 11 At Places: Discussion and Provide Direction on the Revised FY 2021 Proposed Budgets
• May 12 Staff Report: Preliminary Operating Plan for Junior Museum and Zoo (CMR 11222)
• May 12 At Places: Junior Museum and Zoo Adjustments for Municipal Fees
• May 13 Staff Report: Review of Proposed Municipal Fee Schedule Amendments (CMR 11190)
• May 13 At Places: RPP Program Modifications
• May 13 At Places: Additional Information
• May 13 At Places: Revised General Fund Reconciliations
• May 26 Staff Report: FY 2021 Proposed Operating and Capital Budget Wrap-Up & Municipal Code Change (CMR 11376)
• New Budget Blog: City Budget Deliberations Continue Next Week, published on May 22

Agendas and Presentations

• May 11 Revised Proposed Operating and Capital Budgets Overview (presentation)
• May 12 Department Meeting Schedule (revised)
• May 12 Budget Presentations
  • Fiscal Year 2021 Budget Process Overview and Non-departmental Section
  • General Fund Capital Budget and Cubberley Capital Improvement Plan
  • Public Safety City Service Area
  • Community and Library Services Operating Budget
• May 13 Department Meeting Schedule (revised)
• May 13 Budget Presentations
  • Continuation 
  • Fiscal Year 2021 Proposed Municipal Fee Schedule Amendments 
  • Planning and Transportation City Services Area
  • Infrastructure and Environment City Service Area
  • Government and Administration/ Internal Service Departments (not reviewed on May 12)
• May 26 Budget Presentation
  • Revised FY 2020- 2021 Proposed Operating and Capital Budgets

Presentations Postponed

• May 18 (tentative): Pension Funding Policy (CMR 10784)