2023 Budget in Brief

Running from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, the City’s Fiscal Year 2023-24 Adopted Budget is a policy cornerstone and lays out both the planned sources and uses of all of the City’s resources. The budget – and those for prior years – is available here, while the Budget in Brief postcard and this site are abbreviated versions to provide a starting point for the community to engage with the budget.

Property taxes are one of the single largest categories of taxes most people pay, directly or indirectly, and one of the key sources of funding for local government in California. The City of Saratoga is just one organization within the incorporated boundary which receives a portion of these taxes.
Property Tax Breakout
Want to learn more about where your property taxes go? The Santa Clara County Controller-Treasurer Department provides an overview of the countywide tax distribution here.

Curious about exactly where your bill goes? The County provides a website which shows each component of your property's assessed taxes.

City General Fund Expenditures

The City operates under the Council/Manager form of government, with operations distributed across a number of departments and programs. These departments and their areas of programmatic responsibility are shown in the organizational chart. Notably, no Public Safety departments are represented, as Saratoga contracts with the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office and several independent Fire Protection Districts cover the City's footprint. Below provides a breakdown of how each dollar is spent.

How each dollar is spent

What is General Administration?

General Administration encompasses those functions relating to operating the organization, including those expenditures from the City Council, the City Manager's Department, the Administrative Services Department, and the City Attorney's Office.

What are Internal Services?

Internal Services represent the functions that draw from across the organization to provide specialized services, such as Risk Management and Facilities Maintenance. Also included in this category for this abbreviated presentation is the City's unfunded accrued liability (UAL, or pension liability) minimum plus additional discretionary payments.

What are Community Services?

Community Services are those functions that interface directly with the community for purposes such as Community Engagement, City Funded Events, and Community Events Grants.

For more detail about the City's operating departments, program descriptions, and the costs associated with providing those specific services, visit the City's Fiscal Year 2023-24 Adopted Budget!

adopted budget

Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Priorities

City of Saratoga Mission Statement: Provide essential services which protect health, safety and welfare, and satisfy the community’s desires to maintain its quality of life while practicing fiscal responsibility.
  • ARPA Capital Improvement Plan Projects - Public Works will make significant progress on infrastructure projects funded by the American Rescue Plan Act's (ARPA) $7.2 million allocation to Saratoga. The projects include stormwater management improvements, advances to clean water initiatives, and the Prospect Road Green Infrastructure project among others.
  • Pavement Management Program - City Council expanded funding for the Pavement Management Program (PMP), allocating $1.337 million from the General Fund's Capital Reserve to ensure Saratoga's roadways are resurfaced and maintained.
  • Reimagining Facility Rentals - A strategic partnership between the City and Los Gatos-Saratoga Community Health and Recreation (LGS-Rec) transfers management and administration of City facilities and park rentals effective October 1, 2023, resulting in a savings to the community without sacrificing services or facilities.

Capital Improvement Program

Priority Project Name Annual Funding Goal
Annual Pavement Management Program 100% dedicated PMP revenues: Gas Taxes, Roadway Rehabilitation fund (SB1), Refuse Vehicle Impact Fee, SCC Measure B Sales Tax
Annual sidewalk, Storm Drains, Curb & Gutter, and Bridge Infrastructure $250,000
Annual Retaining Wall Infrastructure $200,000
Annual Parks, Trails, Grounds and Median Infrastructure $250,000
Annual Roadway Safety and Traffic Calming Infrastructure $150,000
Annual Public Art Infrastructure $25,000
Annual Hakone Gardens Infrastructure $25,000