Annual Report | 2020

#HaywardForward is the new public information project of the City Hayward. It is the place, channel and social media hashtag at and through which we are going to be telling, sharing and archiving the news and progress we are making as a City and Community.
A woman in a safety vest holding up her hands making a heart shape

Dear Residents,

2020 has been a year like no other.  The COVID-19 pandemic has taken at least 76 lives in Hayward.  It has taken livelihoods, too.  Ways of life, expectations and aspirations have been upset or put on hold.

Other developments have brought additional challenges and contributed to individual, household and community concern—from the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis to wildfires across our state.

It is with all of this in mind that we have prepared this third annual #HaywardForward Annual Report with a focus on our COVID-19 response as well as on steps we are taking to sustain primary municipal services through this public health emergency.

One example of this is our No-Contact Food Distribution program staffed by City and community volunteers—including Nicole Grucky, a Sustainability Specialist in our Environmental Services Division, who is pictured on the cover of this brochure.

We also have included information about how your City government is responding to the national and local discourse on racial equity and policing.  Lastly, we have added an update on your investments in enhanced fire and paramedic response through the Measure C half-cent sales tax passed in June 2014.

All of this work and more is being carried out under the leadership of our Mayor and City Council members—and we take seriously our responsibility to keep you informed about it.  This brochure is one way we do this.  To learn more, visit www.hayward-ca.gov/forward, sign-up for our e-newsletter, The Stack, at www.hayward-ca.gov/the-stack, or contact Public Information Officer Chuck Finnie at Chuck.Finnie@hayward-ca.gov.

a digital signature
Kelly McAdoo
City Manager
Barbara Halliday, MAYOR
Sara Lamnin, COUNCILMEMBER
Elisa Márquez, COUNCILMEMBER
Al Mendall, COUNCILMEMBER
Mark Salinas, COUNCILMEMBER
Aisha Wahab, COUNCILMEMBER
Francisco Zermeño, COUNCILMEMBER

 

The City of Hayward General Fund pays for primary municipal services.

The City’s General Fund Reserve is our measure of fiscal health and resilience.  The Reserve serves as the City’s “savings account.”  It helps ensure we can meet obligations during regular fluctuations in revenues and the economy—and in times of emergency such as we are experiencing right now.

 

By City Council policy, we strive to maintain a 20 percent Reserve above budgeted expenditures.  We ended Fiscal Year 2019 with an approximately 21 percent Reserve.  We used some of these Reserve funds in Fiscal Year 2020 to help the City weather the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

 

During the new Fiscal Year 2021, which began on July 1, City employees have contributed to the City’s fiscal health and resilience by taking unpaid furloughs and foregoing cost of living increases.

 

As a result of these sound financial practices, outside credit agencies have recently affirmed the City of Hayward’s high-grade AA+ credit rating.

 

FY 2021 BUDGETED GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES BY DEPARTMENT 

Colorful pie chart showing City of Hayward Expenditures

  • 0.1% Utilities & Environmental Services
  • 0.3% Mayor & Council
  • 5.4% Non-Departmental Transfers
  • 0.9% City Attorney 
  • 0.6% City Clerk
  • 3.9% City Manager
  • 5.3% Development Services
  • 5.3% Maintenance Services
  • 24.6% Fire
  • 1.1% Human Resources
  • 3.5% Library
  • 2.7% Finance
  • 45.7% Police
  • 1.8% Public Works - Engineering & Transportation

FY 2021 BUDGETED GENERAL FUND REVENUE

Colorful pie chart showing City of Hayward Revenue

  • 7.8% Charges for Service 
  • 0.7% Other & Interest
  • 1.4% Fines
  • 5% Intergovernmental
  • 2.4% Transfers In
  • 3.8% Hotel and Other Taxes 
  • 33.4% Property Tax
  • 10.9% Utility User's Tax
  • 19.8% Sales Tax
  • 8.1% Transfer Tax
  • 6.7% Franchise Fees

 

A woman in pink and blue protective gear talking to someone in a black suv at the testing center

  • Established the first city-initiated free COVID-19 Testing Center in the country on March 23.  Open Monday through Friday, the Center provides testing to anyone age 12 or older, regardless of place of residence or immigration status.  www.hayward-ca.gov/covid-19-testing
  • Organized a weekly drive-up No-Contact Food Distribution Program.  Launched on May 7 in partnership with Alameda County Community Food Bank, the program operates from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or until supplies run out every Thursday.
  • Procured and distributed tens of thousands of masks to local essential businesses and day laborers to help keep employees and customers safe early in the pandemic before suitable face-coverings became more widely available.

Covid-19 Related Video Packages: 

 

COVID-19 Testing Center

On March 23, 2020 Hayward Fire Department (HFD) established the nation’s first free, city-mobilized COVID-19 drive-up testing site – just 12 days after declaration of a local emergency over the emerging global pandemic.

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE COVID-19 TESTING CENTER

 

No-Contact Food Distribution

We have partnered with Alameda County Food Bank, Chabot College, Hayward Area Park and Recreation District, and Hayward Unified School District to bring free, no-contact food distribution to Hayward community members. 

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DISTRIBUTION

 

Call for volunteers: No-Contact Food Distribution

When disaster or emergencies strike, the Hayward community steps up looking for ways to help. The Emergency Volunteer Center (EVC) is a program we use to help coordinate those volunteers.

 

LEARN MORE AND SIGN-UP TO VOLUNTEER

Apr. 22, 2020 | Hayward testing nursing home residents and employees for coronavirus infections

Mar. 22, 2020 | Hayward to launch coronavirus testing center

  • Implemented emergency moratoriums on residential and commercial evictions—and a corresponding residential rent stipend program—to protect residents and businesses from being forced from their homes and locations due to COVID-19 hardship.
  • Issued $5000 small business resiliency grants to 76 local businesses, and provided expedited permitting and street closure events to support outdoor dining and shopping as Alameda County Department of Health shelter-in-place rules allowed.
  • Formed the Hayward Community Relief Fund to raise donations to provide financial assistance to our economically most vulnerable residents who could not qualify for unemployment and related government programs.

COVID-19 Economic Support Related News:

  • Responding to discourse on race and law enforcement following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and local officer-involved shootings, launched a program of public opinion research and community conversations about public safety in Hayward.  To learn more and get involved, go to www.hayward-ca.gov/public-safety and www.hayward-ca.gov/haywardsafe.
  • Planning to deliver public presentations on the results of public opinion research and community conversations on public safety, along with information on Hayward Police Department funding, staffing and service demand, during upcoming City Council work sessions.
  • Held first public meeting of the new Hayward Community Advisory Panel to the Chief of Police, which was formed to enhance communication between community members and HPD command and help address issues related to local law enforcement.

Public Safety and Racial Equity Related News Stories: 

  • Broke ground the new Hayward Fire Station 6 and Fire Training Center on the grounds of the Hayward Executive Airport.

  • A partnership with the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District, the Training Center is funded in part by the Measure C half-cent sales tax approved by Hayward voters in June 2014.

  • It will be the new home of the Chabot College fire academy and a new regional training ground for the next generation of firefighters and paramedics—with the new Hayward Fire Station 6 serving surrounding neighborhoods for decades to come.