How Los Gatos is run
Who runs Los Gatos, 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 Los Gatos's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Los Gatos
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
- Severance of 15 months' base salary if fired without cause
- Council may grant a performance-based retention payment of up to $15,000
- 200 hours of vacation a year, plus 5 days of management leave and 6 personal days
Los Gatos city staff
155 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police 60, Parks and public works 35, Administrative services 23, Community development 20, Library 14. FY2026-27. Funded full-time equivalent positions. Counting temporary staff, the budget lists 165.30 FTEs. Town of Los Gatos · Jun 2, 2026
The town posts a salary schedule with annual pay ranges for council-appointed and management jobs. We did not pull pay bands from the State Controller's database. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Los Gatos 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 town's five-year forecast shows a $3.043M general fund deficit in FY2026-27, driven mainly by a transfer of unassigned fund balance to a new capital fund, and a $0.9M deficit in FY2028-29. It expects a return to a positive position in the last two years of the forecast. Town of Los Gatos · Jun 2, 2026
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $10.2M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: The town has no minimum for unassigned fund balance. Separately, council resolution keeps committed budget stabilization and catastrophic reserves equal to 25% of ongoing general fund operating spending, split equally between the two. Town of Los Gatos · Nov 24, 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
- Property tax$22.6M · 35%
- Sales and use tax$8.4M · 13%
- Licenses and permits$7.5M · 12%
- Property tax in lieu of vehicle license fees$5.7M · 9%
- Charges for town services$5.4M · 8%
- Other sources$4.3M · 7%
- Other taxes$2.7M · 4%
- Hotel tax$2.3M · 4%
- Other$6M · 9%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$24.9M · 37%
- Parks and public works$12.3M · 18%
- Administrative services (manager, finance, HR, IT, clerk)$7.4M · 11%
- Community development$6M · 9%
- Non-departmental$5.4M · 8%
- Library$4.2M · 6%
- Transfers out (mostly to a new capital fund)$3.8M · 6%
- Other (town attorney, council, debt payments)$3.5M · 5%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
The town has no voter-approved property tax rate of its own; it gets a share of the 1% base levy. School bond rates depend on which district a home is in.
0¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Los Gatos
- 1% base levy (shared by the county, the town, schools and other agencies)1 · 89%
- School district bonds and loans0.0716 · 6%
- Santa Clara County bonds and levies0.0486 · 4%
- Santa Clara Valley Water District and other special districts0.0054 · <1%
- Total (% of assessed value)1.1256
FY2024-25 rates for a Los Gatos home (Santa Clara County). Town of Los Gatos · Nov 24, 2025
See what a Los Gatos home costs each year, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Los Gatos is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityLos Gatos Police DepartmentTown of Los Gatos · Nov 24, 2025
- Fire and emergency medical responseSeparate districtSanta Clara County Fire DepartmentA California fire protection district that also serves several neighboring cities.Town of Los Gatos · Jun 30, 2022
- WaterPrivate companySan Jose Water CompanyTown of Los Gatos · Jun 30, 2022
- SewerSeparate districtWest Valley Sanitation DistrictTown of Los Gatos
- Trash and recyclingPrivate companyWest Valley Collection & Recycling, LLCTown of Los Gatos
- ElectricityAnother agencySilicon Valley Clean Energy, with Pacific Gas & ElectricTown of Los Gatos
- StreetsThe cityTown of Los GatosTown of Los Gatos · Nov 24, 2025
- ParksThe cityTown of Los GatosTown of Los Gatos · Nov 24, 2025
- LibraryThe cityLos Gatos LibraryTown of Los Gatos · Nov 24, 2025
- SchoolsSeparate districtLos Gatos Union School District and Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School DistrictSix school districts serve parts of the town.Town of Los Gatos · Jun 30, 2022
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 | Los GatosCA | Desert Hot SpringsCA | Menlo ParkCA | Pleasant HillCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 33,293 | 33,629 | 33,785 | 33,853 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $329,000 | $253,000 | $324,000 | $303,420 |
| Council member pay | $6,840 | $19,584 | $11,400 | $11,400 |
| General fund per resident | $2,027 | $1,014 | $2,658 | $1,070 |
| Debt per resident | $27 | $1,107 | $819 | $483 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $1,806 | $446 | $2,156 | $1,625 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 4.6 | — | 8.8 | 3.7 |
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). Los Gatos pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Los Gatos publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineThe adopted FY2026-27 operating budget, with a five-year general fund forecast, is posted on the town's budget page. Town of Los Gatos
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineEach meeting page links the agenda packet, minutes and a video, and minutes give video times for each item. Town of Los Gatos · Sep 1, 2026
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe salary schedule lists a $570 monthly stipend for council members, $6,840 a year. Town of Los Gatos · Jul 6, 2025
- Partly: Employee pay publishedThe town posts a salary schedule with annual ranges for council-appointed and management jobs, including the Town Manager. Town of Los Gatos · Jul 6, 2025
Questions to ask your council
- The forecast shows a $3.043M general fund deficit in FY2026-27, mainly from moving unassigned fund balance to a new capital fund, and a $0.9M deficit in FY2028-29. What would close the FY2028-29 gap?
- Unassigned general fund balance was $10.2M at June 30, 2025, and the town has no minimum for it. Should the council set one?
- CalPERS put the town's two pension plans $60.1M short at June 30, 2025. What is the plan to pay that down?
- Police costs $24.9M of the $67.5M FY2026-27 general fund budget. How does the council review that cost?
The fiscal year starts July 1. The council holds a public hearing on the proposed budget in May and adopts it in June. The council adopted the FY2026-27 appropriation limit on June 2, 2026. See who is running for council
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