How Half Moon Bay is run
Who runs Half Moon Bay, what it costs, and where your money goes
The city manager, council pay, the budget, your property tax bill and who provides each service, from Half Moon Bay's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Half Moon Bay
A city manager hired by the council runs the city day to day. The council sets policy, adopts the budget and sets the tax rate.
What they are paid
- $10,000 a year paid into a 457 deferred compensation plan
- Up to $1,900 a month toward health and other benefits (cafeteria plan)
- Life insurance equal to one year's base salary
- A monthly car allowance
- Eligible for a city home-purchase loan of up to $320,000 for a down payment
Half Moon Bay city staff
46 full-time-equivalent positions. FY2026-27. Regular full-time positions in the FY2026-27 budget. The count excludes limited-term staff and the five council members. City of Half Moon Bay · Jun 16, 2026
The city posts salary schedules with monthly pay ranges for each job title. Police, dispatch and several other services are contracted, so their staff are not on the city payroll. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Half Moon Bay in the red?
Cities must pass a balanced budget, so "profit" and "deficit" mean something different here. The useful questions: does the city's everyday money (the general fund) cover its everyday costs, how much does it keep in savings compared with its own target, and how big are its pension and debt bills.
The city's own outlook
The city calls its general fund deficit structural and not sustainable. Its five-year forecast shows spending above revenue every year through FY2031-32, with gaps of $1.6 million to $2.7 million a year. Under those assumptions the general fund balance falls from $14.9 million at the end of FY2026-27 to $2.9 million by FY2031-32. City of Half Moon Bay · Jun 16, 2026
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $5.3M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: Keep a General Fund Reserve of at least 30% of budgeted general fund operating spending and an Economic Uncertainty Reserve of at least 20%, held apart from the unassigned balance. The FY2026-27 budget says both are fully funded, $12.5 million combined. If used, the city aims to refill them within five years. City of Half Moon Bay · Nov 20, 2025
Why we skip the "budgeted deficit": many cities plan to dip into savings, then spend less than planned. The audited result tells you what really happened.
Where the money comes from and goes
The general fund only: the city's everyday money for FY2026-27.
Comes from
- Hotel tax (transient occupancy)$9.9M · 39%
- Sales and use tax$5M · 20%
- Property tax$4.1M · 16%
- Franchise fees and taxes$997,500 · 4%
- Transfers in from other funds$617,515 · 2%
- Building permits$482,100 · 2%
- Other (county credit reimbursement, interest, golf fees, fees, parking, other)$3M · 12%
- From savings (unassigned fund balance)$1.6M · 6%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Public safety (sheriff, 911 dispatch, animal control contracts)$8.3M · 32%
- Public works$4.8M · 18%
- Non-departmental (pension, debt service, capital transfers)$3.3M · 13%
- City Manager's Office$3.3M · 13%
- Community development$2.5M · 10%
- Administrative services$1.7M · 6%
- City Clerk and communications$1.2M · 4%
- Other (City Attorney, City Council)$846,782 · 3%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Every property pays the 1% base levy, which is shared among local agencies. Voter-approved school, college and open space rates are added on top. The city has no voter-approved debt rate.
0¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Half Moon Bay
- 1% base levy (shared by the county, schools, the fire district, the city and other agencies)1 · 90%
- Cabrillo Unified School District bonds0.0864 · 8%
- San Mateo County Community College District bonds0.0178 · 2%
- Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District0.0013 · <1%
- Total (percent of assessed value)1.1055
FY2024-25 rates for a home in Half Moon Bay (San Mateo County). City of Half Moon Bay · Nov 20, 2025
Who provides your services
Not everything in Half Moon Bay is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe countySan Mateo County Sheriff's Office (contract)City of Half Moon Bay · Jun 16, 2026
- 911 dispatchThe countyCounty of San Mateo (contract)City of Half Moon Bay · Jun 16, 2026
- Animal controlThe countyCounty of San Mateo (contract)City of Half Moon Bay · Jun 16, 2026
- Fire protectionSeparate districtCoastside Fire Protection DistrictAlso serves nearby unincorporated communitiesCity of Half Moon Bay
- WaterSeparate districtCoastside County Water DistrictCoastside County Water District
- Sewer collectionThe cityCity of Half Moon Bay sewer utilityCity of Half Moon Bay · Jun 16, 2026
- Wastewater treatmentAnother agencySewer Authority Mid-Coastside (joint powers authority)Formed in 1976 by the city and two local sanitary districtsCity of Half Moon Bay · Nov 20, 2025
- Trash and recyclingContractorRepublic Services10-year franchise agreementCity of Half Moon Bay
- LibraryThe countySan Mateo County LibrariesCity of Half Moon Bay
- Planning, zoning and building inspectionThe cityCity of Half Moon BayCity of Half Moon Bay · Nov 20, 2025
Compared with similar cities
The cities in this state closest in population that we cover. Read it for scale, not as a ranking: cities provide different services.
| Per city | AndersonCA | HealdsburgCA | Half Moon BayCA | Scotts ValleyCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 11,050 | 11,205 | 11,406 | 11,578 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $231,462 | $303,800 | $295,200 | $268,008 |
| Council member pay | $3,600 | Not confirmed | $11,460 | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $1,134 | $1,850 | $2,259 | $1,872 |
| Debt per resident | $615 | $1,977 | $373 | $1,104 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $1,531 | $4,295 | $1,250 | $2,092 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 6.5 | 13.1 | 4.0 | 5.7 |
Figures as shown in each city's section, divided by its population. Years differ by state, and pension figures are measured differently in each state (each city page says how). Anderson and Half Moon Bay and Scotts Valley pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Half Moon Bay publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted online City of Half Moon Bay
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineThe city's Granicus portal posts agendas, agenda packets, minutes and video for council meetings. City of Half Moon Bay
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public document City of Half Moon Bay · Jul 1, 2026
- Partly: Employee pay publishedThe city posts salary schedules with monthly pay ranges for each job title. We found no city list of pay by employee. City of Half Moon Bay
Questions to ask your council
- The city's forecast shows general fund gaps of $1.6 million to $2.7 million a year through FY2031-32, with the fund balance falling to $2.9 million. Which revenue or spending changes will close the gap?
- County contracts for police, dispatch and animal control make public safety the largest general fund cost, budgeted at $8,256,188 in FY2026-27. How will the city manage further increases?
- Hotel tax is the largest general fund revenue at $9,945,653 in FY2026-27. How would the budget respond if tourism dropped?
- Unassigned general fund balance was $5.25 million on June 30, 2025, and the FY2026-27 budget draws $1,566,773 from savings. How long can the city keep doing that?
The fiscal year starts July 1, and the council adopts the budget by its second June meeting. For FY2026-27 the council held a budget hearing June 2, 2026, the Planning Commission reviewed the capital plan May 26, and the council held a public hearing and adopted the budget June 16, 2026. See who is running for council
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