Public budget town hall for residents

The City of Morgan Hill will hold a public budget town hall on Saturday, May 16, 2026, as city staff seek resident feedback before the next City Council budget workshop. The session is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. at the Community and Cultural Center’s Poppy Jasper Room, according to the city’s budget and financials page. City materials describe the event as part of the public engagement process for Morgan Hill’s next two-year budget. The meeting comes four days before a May 20 City Council budget workshop at City Hall. ### Where and when is the town hall? Saturday, May 16, 2026, is the date listed by the City of Morgan Hill for the town hall meeting. The city says the session will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the Community and Cultural Center – Poppy Jasper Room. The budget page lists the event under “Community Engagement Opportunities,” alongside a March 25 budget roundtable and the May 20 council workshop. (morganhill.ca.gov) ### What is the city asking residents to weigh in on? Morgan Hill’s budget page says the city is beginning planning for its next two-year budget and is asking residents to share views on General Fund priorities. The city has also launched an online “Balancing Act” budget simulation that lets residents review revenue options and possible service changes, including reductions, and submit feedback. (morganhill.ca.gov) City materials say the tool focuses only on the General Fund rather than the full city budget. The March 25 budget roundtable presentation gives a snapshot of what staff have been discussing with the public. That presentation says Morgan Hill’s FY 2025-26 adopted budget totals $256.0 million, including a $63.8 million General Fund, with a $45.2 million discretionary General Fund budget after excluding restricted revenues. The same presentation says 78% of discretionary General Fund spending goes to public safety, including police and fire services. (morganhill.ca.gov) ### What has the city said about its financial position? A March 25 city presentation says Morgan Hill holds a AAA issuer credit rating from S&P and has a General Fund reserve equal to 47%. The same presentation says budget pressures have been “heightened by economic conditions,” including inflation, interest rates and economic uncertainty, while conservative spending and stronger-than-forecast revenues had delayed fiscal decline. (morganhill.ca.gov) Those characterizations appear in the city’s budget roundtable slide deck. City budget materials say the biennial process begins with council priorities and typically reaches a key stage in May, when the city manager’s recommended budget is presented to the council and made available to the public. The city says formal deliberations then continue through a budget workshop, a public hearing and adoption in June. (morganhill.ca.gov) ### How does this fit into the city’s budget calendar? March 25, 2026, was the city’s budget roundtable community meeting, according to the budget page and the roundtable document. The same city materials list May 16 for the town hall meeting and May 20 for the City Council budget workshop. A city calendar entry says the May 20 workshop will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chamber Building at 17555 Peak Avenue and will also be available virtually. (morganhill.ca.gov) The city’s approved 2026 council meeting schedule separately identifies May 20 as a regular City Council meeting designated as a budget workshop. That schedule also shows regular council meetings on June 3, June 17 and June 24, placing the next formal budget steps in the weeks after the public town hall. (morganhill.ca.gov) ### Where can residents find the budget documents? The City of Morgan Hill’s budget and financials page links to the recommended operating budget for FY 2026-27 and FY 2027-28 and to the recommended capital improvement budgets through FY 2031-32. The same page also links to the Balancing Act simulation tool for residents who want to submit feedback online. (morganhill.ca.gov) Wednesday, May 20, 2026, is the next scheduled public budget meeting after the town hall. The city says that workshop starts at 6:00 p.m. at 17555 Peak Avenue, with in-person and virtual attendance options available through the council meeting page. (morganhill.ca.gov) (morganhill.ca.gov)