How San Bruno is run
Who runs San Bruno, 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 San Bruno's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs San Bruno
A mayor elected citywide and four council members elected by district set policy and adopt the budget. They appoint a City Manager, who runs the city day to day and appoints department directors, and a City Attorney.
What they are paid
- Twelve months' base salary as severance if fired without cause
- City pays 2% of base salary into a deferred compensation plan
- Car allowance of $208 per pay period
- CalPERS pension at the 2.7% at 55 formula; he pays the full member contribution
- City-paid life insurance of one year's pay, up to $300,000
- Term ends June 30, 2027 unless both sides extend it to June 30, 2028
San Bruno city staff
265 full-time-equivalent positions. FY2026-27. City of San Bruno · Jun 23, 2026
The city posts a 2026 pay schedule with pay rates for every job class. We did not pull pay bands from the State Controller's database. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is San Bruno 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 says state actions threaten over $20 million of general fund revenue. Before balancing steps, the FY2026-27 general fund had a $3.0 million structural deficit, mainly from the state's redirection of $3 million in vehicle license fee backfill. The budget removes 8 vacant positions and trims other costs. About $3.4 million a year of cardroom revenue is also at risk from new state rules. City of San Bruno · Jun 23, 2026
Savings
Unassigned general fund balance: $53.5M (2025-06-30). City of San Bruno · Dec 19, 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
- Sales tax$19.3M · 26%
- Property tax$17.4M · 23%
- Charges for services$8.5M · 11%
- Business taxes$7.5M · 10%
- Use of money and property$5.1M · 7%
- Vehicle license fee (property tax in lieu)$4.2M · 6%
- Transfers in$3.8M · 5%
- Hotel tax$3.6M · 5%
- Other (franchise fees, permits, fines, misc.)$6M · 8%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$23.2M · 31%
- Fire$14.6M · 19%
- Non-departmental (transfers out and citywide costs)$13.9M · 18%
- Community services (parks, recreation, library, seniors)$11.2M · 15%
- Public works$4.3M · 6%
- Administrative services$4.1M · 5%
- Other (city manager, city attorney, council, community development)$4M · 5%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
The city's audit lists no voter-approved city or special district rate for FY2024-25. The extra rate above the 1% base levy is for school district bonds.
0¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of San Bruno
- 1% base levy (shared by the county, the city, schools and other agencies)1 · 92%
- School district bonds0.0865 · 8%
- Total (% of assessed value)1.0865
FY2024-25 rates for a home in San Bruno (San Mateo County). City of San Bruno · Dec 19, 2025
Who provides your services
Not everything in San Bruno is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe citySan Bruno Police DepartmentCity of San Bruno · Jun 23, 2026
- Fire and emergency medical servicesThe citySan Bruno Fire DepartmentCity of San Bruno · Jun 23, 2026
- WaterThe cityCity of San Bruno Public Works, Water DivisionCity of San Bruno · Jun 23, 2026
- Trash and recyclingContractorRecology San BrunoUnder a franchise agreement effective January 1, 2023.City of San Bruno · Jun 23, 2026
- LibraryThe citySan Bruno Public Library (city)City of San Bruno · Jun 23, 2026
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of San BrunoCity of San Bruno · Jun 23, 2026
- Street maintenanceThe cityCity of San BrunoCity of San Bruno · Jun 23, 2026
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 | San BrunoCA | LompocCA | DanvilleCA | CampbellCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 42,411 | 43,073 | 43,190 | 43,195 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $360,817 | $279,804 | $305,000 | $358,883 |
| Council member pay | $5,832 | Not current (2023) | $16,644 | $15,300 |
| General fund per resident | $1,774 | $1,378 | $788 | $1,713 |
| Debt per resident | $1,288 | $1,205 | $81 | $1,175 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $2,820 | $2,450 | $0 | $1,677 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 6.2 | 9.1 | 3.5 | 4.3 |
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). Danville and Campbell pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What San Bruno publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: City manager's contract findable online City of San Bruno · Sep 22, 2026
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineMinutes name the movers and record each motion's outcome; resolutions list each member's vote. City of San Bruno · Sep 22, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineMinutes are posted in the city's Agenda Center, and meetings are made available at youtube.com/CityofSanBruno. City of San Bruno
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe 2026 pay schedule lists council pay of $486 a month ($5,832 a year). City of San Bruno · Jul 14, 2026
- Yes: Employee pay publishedThe city posts a 2026 pay schedule with pay rates by job class, including the City Manager. City of San Bruno · Jul 14, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The city says state actions threaten over $20 million of general fund revenue, and the FY2026-27 general fund budget is $75.2 million. Which services would change first if the $3.4 million in cardroom revenue is lost?
- The two CalPERS plans were $119.6 million unfunded at June 30, 2025. What is the city's plan to pay this down?
- The City Manager's agreement ends June 30, 2027 unless extended by January 31, 2027. When will the council decide?
The fiscal year starts July 1. The council holds a goal-setting study session between January and March. The City Manager presented the FY2026-27 recommended budget on June 9, 2026, with final approval scheduled for June 23, 2026. The council must hold a public hearing and adopt the budget by June 30. See who is running for council
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