Moraga council begins budget year planning, orders staff to draft 5 goals and top 10 priorities

The Moraga Town Council on Feb. 12 launched its FY 2026–27 budget-year planning by asking staff to produce a concise mission statement, five broad goals and a list of 10 top priorities to guide the town’s biennial budget. The council discussed land use, infrastructure, public safety and community facilities at length and set direction for staff to return with word-smithing and an actionable priorities package for future adoption.

Town Manager Scott Mitnick told the council the process would move the town from a combined set of 11 goals and priorities to a more focused framework intended to guide the upcoming budget. “We’re recommending that you have five broad goals and 10 priorities,” Mitnick said. “They’re just — it’s more manageable. It helps the council become more focused.”

The discussion began with a review of the town’s current mission statement, which Mitnick read aloud and then contrasted with several shorter alternatives submitted by council members and staff. Council members worked together during the meeting to produce a draft phrasing; Mitnick said staff would return at the next meeting with a formal recommendation for adoption. Several council members favored a shorter, service‑oriented statement that also mentions preservation of town character and open space.

Council members and staff moved quickly from the mission statement to a line‑by‑line review of categories…