Menlo Park City Council

The Menlo Park City Council has approved a $143 million budget for the fiscal year starting July 1, marking the end of an annual process of assessing the city’s financial health, community priorities, infrastructure investments and day-to-day operations.

At last week’s City Council meeting, city staff presented proposed additions to the draft budget that were requested at the public hearing during the June 5, 2018, meeting. One was to pre-fund $935,000 for Sharon Road sidewalk installation and set aside $450,000 for additional Belle Haven Branch Library improvements.

This year’s budget theme is “From Vision to Fruition.” It acknowledges the City Council’s steady investment in the community, the real financial benefits that are emerging from previous land use decisions and the managed growth of important city services funded by these revenues.

Each year, city staff from all departments prepare budgets for the coming fiscal year to cover day-to-day city services, which make up the operating budget. The Capital Improvement Plan budget covers construction projects and infrastructure.

The fiscal year 2018-19 budget includes $67.5 million in General Fund expenditures and an expected General Fund surplus of $320,000.

Several service enhancements were also included:

• Additional code enforcement officer in the Police Department
• Holiday lighting in the Belle Haven Neighborhood
• Expanded downtown sidewalk power washing
• Increased contract services to fund hazardous tree removal
• Additional full-time library staff and programming enhancements
• Additional full-time Menlo Park Municipal Water utility staff to improve service reliability and system maintenance
• Implementation of a citywide asset management program
• Computer replacement at the Menlo Children’s Center and Senior Center computer lab
• Organizational reviews and process updates within the Community Development and Public Works departments
• Implementation of Text-to-911 to allow users to contact Police dispatch via text message

To learn more about the fiscal year 2018-19 city budget, visit menlopark.org/budget or contact the Finance Division.

From Menlo Park Updates; used with permission

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