How is Monte Sereno run?
Monte Sereno’s city government spent $6 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,705 per resident.
What stands out about how Monte Sereno is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union School District
Monte Sereno’s high school district, shared with Los Gatos, Saratoga. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $25,830 per pupil, $14,578 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
California districts overall: 36% local, 52% state, 11% federal.
Los Gatos Union Elementary School District · $21,746 per pupil
Saratoga Union Elementary School District · $25,102 per pupil
Campbell Union High School District · $19,636 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $1,705 per resident a year, or $4.67 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 38%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,705 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Monte Sereno’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,705 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 76 California cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,472, and the middle half spent $1,070–$2,489. Monte Sereno spent more than 59% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($44,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
California cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Monte Sereno itself left out).
No trend yet
Monte Sereno reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
Typical bills top $10,000 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Monte Sereno’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Monte Sereno’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Monte Sereno →
Who’s in charge in Monte Sereno
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Monte Sereno’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on montesereno.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 499 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (3,491).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Monte Sereno’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Monte Sereno alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Santa Clara County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat68.1%510,552 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican28.1%210,732 votesOthers: 3.8% (28,745 votes).
Most votes in Santa Clara County: Kamala D Harris
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Monte Sereno lies in Santa Clara County. Every 2024 race in Santa Clara County is on the county’s page.
Santa Clara County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Monte Sereno.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: montesereno.org ↗
- 2California AssemblyState representatives
- 3California SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of California
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Monte Sereno compares with the towns next door
Monte Sereno spent $1,705 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $965 to $2,823. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Monte Sereno’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Monte Sereno’s government
How much does Monte Sereno spend per resident?
About $1,705 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,705 was more than 59% of 76 California cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Monte Sereno’s government?
See montesereno.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Monte Sereno yet.
How did Monte Sereno vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Monte Sereno alone. Santa Clara County, where 100% of Monte Sereno lies, voted Harris 68.1%, Trump 28.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Monte Sereno?
7 full-time and 0 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $69,340 (about $832,080 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Monte Sereno in the state legislature?
State Senate District 13 (Josh Becker) and Assembly District 28 (Gail Pellerin). The Assembly district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Monte Sereno’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →