Commissions & Committees

There are a total of seven Commissions as well as several Committees that serve the Saratoga community. Commissioners are appointed by the City Council to serve in an advisory capacity on certain subject matters. Committees may be comprised of members of the City Council or residents of Saratoga and also work on specialized topics. 

If you would like to know more about serving on a Commission, view the City’s Commission Handbook (PDF). You can also read about Commission service below. View Commission Vacancies to see openings in the City’s commissions and committees.

Commission Eligibility 

Elected officials and City employees are not eligible to apply.

Membership on City Commissions is limited to service on one Commission at any one time.

All applicants must attend at least one Commission meeting prior to the interview process. All applicants must be residents in the City of Saratoga. However, there are exceptions to these requirements.

  • Two members of the Heritage Preservation Commission must be trained or have experience in the field of construction and structural rehabilitation, such as a licensed architect, engineer, contractor, or urban planner. These members must either live or have a place of business in Saratoga.
  • One member of the Library Commission is appointed by the Monte Sereno City Council.
  • Youth Commissioners are not required to be registered voters

Application & Selection 

When a vacancy occurs on a Commission, a notice will be posted in the local newspaper and on the City’s website to solicit applications. Applicants are required to submit the completed the application and supplemental questionnaire to the City Clerk’s Office by the deadline.

A separate application is required for each Commission to which the applicant wishes to apply. Applications are maintained by the City Clerk’s Office in an active status for one year, after which time they become inactive and a new application must be submitted.

The City Council interviews Commission applicants as part of a City Council meeting. Interviews are typically held at City Hall in the administrative conference room in the late afternoon prior to the 7 p.m. Council Meeting. Following the interviews, the Mayor will notify the applicants of the results.

Terms & Limits 

Commissioner terms are for four years except for members of the Youth Commission. (Members of the Youth Commission are appointed to two-year terms.) No Commissioner may serve more than two full consecutive terms on a single Commission.

  • A Commissioner who has served two full consecutive terms on a Commission may not be reappointed to that Commission for at least one year following the expiration of his or her term.
  • A partial term served, as a result of an appointment to fill a vacancy or realign term staggering, is not a full term.
  • For each Commission, the terms of the Commissioners are staggered such that each year the four-year terms of approximately an equal number of the Commissioners will expire. For example, a seven-member Commission would have two terms ending each year and one term ending on the fourth year. The Youth Commission does not have term limits.

The City Clerk notifies Commissioners when they approach the end of their term. For those interested in and eligible for reappointment, an updated application is required.

Disclosure of Financial Interests

Commission members are subject to the conflict of interest provisions of the law, which are designed to protect the public from biased decisions. Consequently, Commissioners must:

  • File the Fair Political Practices Commission’s (FPPC) Form 700 Statement of Economic Interests within 30 days of taking the oath of office.
  • File an annual Form 700.
  • File a Form 700 when leaving office.

As required by the Political Reform Act, the City has also adopted its own Conflict of Interest Code that Commissioners are subject to. View the City of Saratoga Conflict of Interest Code (PDF), which describes the nature of interests that may create a conflict.

Local Appointments List

Pursuant to the Maddy Act (Government Code 54970-54974), the City is required to make the Local Appointments List (PDF) available on the City website. This document can also be found at the Saratoga Library pursuant to the Saratoga Municipal Code Section 2-12.010(f).