#municipal-budget

#municipal-budget

The mayor wants to cut support for the Free City College program. It's yet another example of the city's chief executive diverting money that was approved by the voters to other priorities. It's also a violation of a ten-year Memorandum of Understanding that San Francisco signed with City College in 2017. Free City College has its roots in a 2016 ballot measure, spearheaded by then-Sup. Jane Kim, that slightly raised the transfer tax on properties selling for more than $5 million.

Mountain View is expected to close out the 2025-26 fiscal year with a roughly $1.8 million operating balance, excluding any pending changes. That's according to Derek Rampone, the city's finance and administrative services director, who presented an update to the City Council at its Feb. 24 meeting. That's an increase from the $743,000 forecast when the budget was first approved last June.

Mayor Daniel Lurie said Friday that his office will pare back city functions during next year's budget cuts and focus on "core" services like public safety, clean streets, and transit in a bid to shave some $400 million and continue addressing the deficit. The mayor's office said departments are being instructed to reduce the total number of funded programs and services, stop new hiring, review all contracts for potential savings and reduce administrative costs.

"As the mayor of a city on the rise, I knew Portland would need an innovative city administrator with a track record of success to unlock a new chapter of safety, innovation, and shared prosperity," Wilson stated in the announcement. "We've found that and more with Raymond Lee. I'm proud to put Lee before my City Council colleagues for their vote, and I'm grateful for their support and enthusiasm as we finalize the confirmation process."

As Hayward revises its 2025-2026 budget after depleting $31 million in its general fund budget, the city is working to rein in its expenses after a 21% increase in salaries and benefits and a 14% increase in overtime that has caused city officials to return to the negotiation table with the city's labor groups. Our public safety departments account for the lion's share of overtime expenses, largely because they account for the lion's share of overall city staffing,

Cupertino is holding its first-ever Restaurant Week In celebration of the city's 70th anniversary. From Monday, Oct. 6 to Sunday, Oct. 12, local dining spots will offer exclusive promotions and specials. Participating restaurants will offer limited-time deals and dishes created especially for the occasion. Cupertino was incorporated on Oct. 10, 1955. For a full list of participating restaurants and what they're offering, visit cupertino.gov/taste70.

Santa Monica, long a beacon of economic strength in Southern California, has endured its share of struggles in recent years. Its once-bustling downtown shopping district has taken a post-pandemic hit, with the Third Street Promenade in need of reinvention and the upscale Santa Monica Place mall about to lose its anchor Nordstrom. Other factors include post-pandemic shifts in the entertainment industry and new tariffs.

It was a perfect storm. We added positions to respond to needs, we negotiated new labor standards, and there was also the expenditure to purchase the theater, and, frankly, we have some internal overtime spending controls that need to be tightened up,