City Departments

• Finance
  
  Administers the financial affairs of the City including City-owned utilities. Responsibilities include budget administration and control, maintaining a general accounting system, preparation of comprehensive annual financial reports, collection of taxes, fees, special assessment and utility charges, investment of City funds, issuance of bonds, internal auditing, computer services, and financial management of contracts including leases. more..
  
  
• Fire
  
  Responds to fire or medical emergency scenes with highly trained and equipped personnel within three minutes after being notified and dispatched. The Fire Department also assists other City departments in recovery operations, conducts fire inspections and hazardous materials inspections, and offers public education programs on fire prevention. more..
  
  
• Human Resources
  
  Responsible for the recruitment, testing and selection of City personnel. Human Resources administers programs for employee and retiree benefits, classification and compensation records, employee development, employee and labor relations, safety, training, and equal employment opportunity programs. more..
  
  
• Information Technology
  
  Provides innovative technology support to City departments. The department also provides user support and training for desktop applications, facilitates the optimal use of technology resources in the City, and safeguards and manages central data services. For the City’s public safety departments, the Department of Information Technology plans, designs, installs, maintains and manages all types of electronic communications and computer systems in support of City operations. more..
  
  
• Library
  
  Meets the full range of information needs of Santa Clara residents. Library services and programs include both educational and recreational information, in both traditional and new media formats. Emphasis is on serving the diverse needs of the entire community. more..
  
  
• Parks & Recreation
  
  Responsible for managing the City’s parks and recreational activities and the City-owned cemetery.  The department also works cooperatively with schools, churches, youth agencies, service clubs and other public agencies and private nonprofit organizations to coordinate leisure services within the City. more..
  
  
• Planning & Inspection
  
  Ensures the construction and use of private property conforms to standards of the City and State. Santa Clara’s policies and standards are contained in the General Plan, Zoning Ordinance, and Uniform Building Code. The department reviews plans for new structures and inspects construction to verify that safety and basic quality of work standards are met. Planning and Inspection also administers federal grants for housing and community development, designed to provide services and assistance to lower income residents. more..
  
  
• Police
  
  The primary law enforcement agency for the City of Santa Clara. The department is staffed by sworn officers, civilian support personnel, a Police Reserve, and citizen volunteers. The Police Department is responsible for the operation and management of the City’s Public Safety Communication Center, which handles all 9-1-1 calls and coordinates all fire and police field units responding to emergency calls. more..
  
  
• Public Works & Engineering
  
  Facilitates private development and the issuance of building permits by efficiently processing site reviews, maps, property title documents, development fee collections and assessment districts. The department also administers a street opening permit program, reviews private developments to verify compliance with City standards, and designs and administers public works projects. more..
  
  
• Street Department
  
  Responsible for maintaining City streets and sidewalks, storm drains, median landscaping, landscaping of City-owned properties and City owned vehicles. The department also handles solid waste collections and disposal, recycling, hazardous waste collection and disposal, and street sweeping. more..
  
  

City Admin

• City Manager's Office
  
  This office is responsible for the administration of the City in accordance with City Council policy and Charter requirements, under the City Manager who is the Chief Executive Officer of the City. The City Manager prepares and submits an annual City budget, appoints and removes all officers and employees of the City, handles the use of City-owned property, is responsible for community and media relations, special projects, research and contracts, training and safety, and redevelopment and special agency activities. The City Manager oversees agreement for the management of the City's Convention Center, is responsible for Employee Relations and chairs the City's Economic Development Team. more..
  
  
• City Attorney's Office
  
  Represents and advises the City Council and all City officers in all matters of law pertaining to their offices. The office also prepares ordinances or resolutions, and prosecutes criminal cases for violation of the Charter and City ordinances. The office provides services to the City Council, Board and Commissions, City Manager and City Departments on City business only. Legal services are not provided to residents or businesses. more..
  
  
• City Clerk's Office
  
  Responsible for the recording, writing and maintenance of City Council proceedings. This department stores and indexes official documents and City records, administers Conflict of Interest disclosures and Campaign Disclosure Statements, is the custodian of the seal of the City, conducts municipal elections, and publishes ordinances, resolutions and other official City documents. more..
  
  

City Utilities

• Electric Utility [Silicon Valley Power]
  
  The municipal electric utility provides electric power to more than 50,000 residential and industrial customers. It handles all aspects of electric service from system planning, engineering, operations and dispatch to marketing, customer service and power trading. more..
  
  
• Water & Sewer Utilities
  
  Responsible for the planning, design, construction, maintenance and operation of the City’s water distribution system. About 65% of the 8.0 billion gallons of water that flow to Santa Clara customers each year is obtained from the City’s own wells. The remainder is treated water purchased from wholesale water agencies. The department also operates a sanitary sewage collection system that collects and conveys wastewater to the jointly owned San Jose/Santa Clara Water Pollution Control Plant for treatment and disposal. It operates a recycled water system and a solar energy utility that provides solar energy to customers for swimming pool and domestic hot water heating on a fee for service basis. more..