How San José is run
Who runs San José, 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 José's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs San José
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 six months of salary if removed involuntarily
- Vehicle allowance of $350 a month
- At-will employment, no fixed term
San José city staff
6,924 full-time-equivalent positions. FY2026-27. Full-time equivalent positions in the proposed FY2026-27 budget, a net cut of 85 from 7,009 in FY2025-26. City of San José · May 1, 2026
The city publishes every employee's pay by name each year on its open data portal. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is San José 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's 2027-2031 forecast showed a $50.3 million general fund shortfall for FY2026-27, which the budget closes with ongoing solutions, followed by a further $26.8 million shortfall in FY2027-28 and smaller gaps or surpluses after that. The cumulative five-year shortfall is $63.5 million. City of San José · May 1, 2026
Savings
Unassigned general fund balance: $22.9M (2025-06-30). City of San José · Nov 17, 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.
Your property tax bill: who gets it
The county splits the 1% base levy among local agencies and adds voter-approved debt rates. These are the rates the county reports for the city; not every rate applies to every property.
15¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of San José
- Schools and community colleges0.647 · 57%
- Santa Clara County0.292 · 26%
- City of San José, general purpose0.156 · 14%
- Special districts0.028 · 2%
- City of San José, voter-approved debt0.016 · 1%
- Total (% of assessed value)1.139
FY2024-25 rates for a home in San José (Santa Clara County), from the city's audited report. City of San José · Nov 17, 2025
See what a San José home costs each year, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in San José is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe citySan José Police DepartmentCity of San José · Nov 17, 2025
- Sewer and wastewater treatmentThe cityCity of San José: sewage collection system and the San José-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater FacilityCity of San José · Nov 17, 2025
- WaterThe citySan José Municipal Water System (city-owned)City of San José · Nov 17, 2025
- LibrariesThe citySan José Public LibraryCity of San José · Nov 17, 2025
- StreetsThe cityCity of San JoséCity of San José · Nov 17, 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 | FresnoCA | San FranciscoCA | San JoseCA | San DiegoCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 560,948 | 845,658 | 980,434 | 1,419,531 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $328,932 | $397,160 | $456,015 | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | $97,184 | $180,128 | $171,257 | $183,545 |
| General fund per resident | $974 | $8,986 | $1,953 | $1,590 |
| Debt per resident | $1,556 | $29,826 | $2,651 | $2,869 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $-620 | $5,043 | $2,616 | $2,216 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 8.8 | 38.7 | 7.1 | 9.2 |
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).
What San José publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineThe city's Legistar meeting pages link the agenda, minutes and meeting video. City of San José · Jun 9, 2026
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe Salary Setting Commission's 2024 letter sets the mayor's and council members' base salaries. City of San José · Apr 18, 2024
- Yes: Employee pay published City of San José open data
Questions to ask your council
- The city closed a $50.3 million general fund shortfall for FY2026-27 and projects another $26.8 million gap in FY2027-28. Which ongoing changes will close it?
- The Federated pension plan was 65.84% funded at June 30, 2025, against 88.05% for the Police and Fire plan. What is the plan to close the Federated gap?
- Staffing falls a net 85 positions to 6,924 in the FY2026-27 budget. Which services change as a result?
Help decide what comes next
What do you want to know about San José next?
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Every number here was checked by hand against the linked document. Cities publish on different schedules, so years differ between sections; each figure says which year it describes. Spotted something wrong or out of date?
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