March 8, 2010 Redwood City Council meeting discussed some budget problems, but no decisions were made.  Amongst the measures being considered are cutting 32 jobs, salary freezes and reducing pension plans for city employees. The pension plans are costly upfront, but also when the CalPERS (California Public Employee Retirement System) fund looses money due to stock market downturns, the city has to put more money into the pot since retirees are guaranteed a fixed income. The City will likely have to put in $750,000 next year and the amount is expected to grow each year as the number of retirees grows.

Other areas being looked at to trim the budget include consolidating committees so city staff  do not need to attend as many meetings, not filling vacant positions and cutting back on some services. Revenue generators discussed included extending the hours which require paying parking meters, a 0.25% sales tax increase, raising hotel taxes, and hiking business license fees amongst others.