City of Los Altos

The Community

Los Altos is a diverse and highly educated community. Residents have along tradition of volunteerism, with many actively involved in City government and other community service organizations. Tree-lined streets and a small village atmosphere characterize Los Altos, which is located in the heart of Silicon Valley. Just 40 miles south of San Francisco and 17 miles north of San Jose, Los Altos is an upscale residential community that blends a distinctive community-oriented character with the proximity and influence of the Bay Area’s cultural, recreational, and business attractions. Many Silicon Valley executives, managers, and engineers choose to live in this City of over 30,000 because of its attractive climate, lovely neighborhoods, and charming downtown. Los Altos has been identified as a top Bay Area locale for families with children. Los Altos has a number of highly ranked schools that serve K-12 students, including schools recognized as California Distinguished Schools and National Blue Ribbon Schools. Its students consistently achieve the highest scores in the State on standardized tests. The community also includes excellent private schools. Foothill College as well as Stanford, Santa Clara, and San Jose State Universities are within close proximity to Los Altos.

Los Altos provides spacious lot sizes for residents to build or purchase their dream home, walkable neighborhoods, parks, and open space as well as seven neighborhood commercial areas that provide services to the community. The city is just completing construction of a new state of the art, sustainable $37 million Community Center that will host recreational and educational opportunities. With its picturesque neighborhoods, downtown village, and highly-rated public and private schools, Los Altos is one of the premier residential communities on the San Francisco Peninsula and prides itself as an exceptional place to live, work, and raise a family. 

The Organization

Los Altos is a General Law City and operates under the Council/Manager form of government. The five members of the City Council are elected to four-year overlapping terms, with the Mayor selected among his/her peers to serve a one-year term. The City Council appoints the City Manager, who in turn, serves as chief executive of the municipal organization. The City also utilizes several standing volunteer commissions. The City relies upon these commissions as well as ad-hoc committees to advise City Council on community issues. The City of Los Altos is a full-service city with a total 2020 - 2021 budget of $83.7 million ($57.2 million operating budget), $26.5 million FY 20-21 CIP, and $886,000 for Debt Transfers. Current staffing includes 136 benefited FTEs and 51 part-time non-benefited FTEs. The City currently follows a 9/80 schedule with offices closed every other Friday. The City has its own Police Department and contracts for fire services with Santa Clara County Fire District. Notably, the City is financially stable with over $50.8 million in General fund reserves primarily due to its property tax revenues. The City  Council has a long-standing policy to hold at least a 20% general reserve in accordance with best practices in local government. 

Click on the links on this profile to learn more about Los Altos and current career opportunities.