Walnut Creek Voters to Decide Fate of Elected City Treasurer on November Ballot

The Walnut Creek City Council moved unanimously Tuesday night to let voters decide whether to end more than a century of elected city treasurers, placing a measure on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot that would convert the position to a professional appointment. The three-hour meeting also produced budget amendments that add the city's first dedicated emergency management staffer in years and a sweeping progress report on council priorities — from a gas leaf blower ban that generated 230 complaints in its first month to a Bay Area venture capital boom positioning Walnut Creek for healthcare-driven growth.

• Council puts treasurer's future to voters, asking whether the increasingly technical position should shift from elected to appointed
• FY2027 budget amendments approved, adding ~$600,000 to fund balance, a new Measure O-funded emergency management analyst, and expanded library hours during a branch closure
• Five council priorities get progress check: PODS dining program earns state award with 45:1 investment leverage; leaf blower ban strains small sustainability team; zero homeless encampments reported
• Bay Area captures 79% of U.S. venture capital in 2026, with healthcare office conversions favoring Walnut Creek
• Council Handbook updated for new state laws, with staff ordered to study December meeting scheduling to ease election certification crunch

The council voted 5-0 to place a measure on the November 2026 general municipal election ballot asking a simple question: Shall the office of City Treasurer be appointive?