Walnut Creek Council Weighs Tourism Taxes, Hiring Gaps

WALNUT CREEK, CA — The Walnut Creek City Council will confront hiring shortages, tourism funding, and rising service costs Tuesday as officials consider new budget adjustments and long-term revenue strategies during Tuesday's meeting at City Hall.

Council members are scheduled to open the evening with a proclamation recognizing Gun Violence Awareness Day before moving into discussions about employee recruitment struggles, tourism business assessments, and a citywide fee recovery study.

One of the meeting’s most closely watched items centers on the city’s ongoing struggle to recruit and retain workers.

During a required public hearing, city officials will review Walnut Creek’s fiscal year 2026 job vacancies and evaluate whether hiring policies or recruitment practices are slowing efforts to fill open positions. Employee bargaining groups will also have an opportunity to weigh in during the meeting.

Council members will also consider renewing assessments tied to the Walnut Creek Tourism Business Improvement District, a program funded by local hotels to support tourism promotion and economic activity.

City staff told council members the district has operated since 2010 and funds marketing efforts designed to attract visitors and strengthen hotel-related business activity throughout the city.

Another major discussion will focus on how much residents and businesses should pay for city services.

A consultant hired by Walnut Creek completed a comprehensive study examining the actual cost of fee-based services across multiple city departments.

Council members are expected to provide policy direction on how aggressively the city should recover those costs through user fees.

The consent calendar also includes proposed amendments to the fiscal year 2027 operating budget, election-related resolutions tied to the November 2026 election, investment reports, and emergency disaster assistance authorization forms.

The meeting begins with a 4 p.m. closed session involving anticipated litigation before the regular public meeting starts at 6 p.m. inside Walnut Creek City Hall at 1666 North Main St.

Residents can attend in person, watch online through the city’s meeting portal, or stream the meeting on the city’s YouTube channel.