City Manager Paul Buddenhagen reflects on the City of Berkeley’s work to improve infrastructure and services over the past year.
Having completed my first year as Berkeley’s City Manager, I’m honored to share my first annual report, highlighting some of the remarkable work our staff accomplished over the past year.
As the City’s administrative leader, I guide the implementation of policies set by our Mayor and Council into action and service.
On a broad scale, that means closely collaborating with our City Council to prioritize the City’s fiscal health, support and develop staff, work with community partners, and find efficiencies to enhance everyone’s experience in Berkeley.
The result is work that’s impossible to encompass in any one message. But the impacts I’ve seen over the past year, even amidst a troubled time, continue to give me hope in the ways we will each make a difference in our community.
This year, I’m particularly proud of City of Berkeley staff and their dedication to improving safety on our streets, expanding access to affordable housing, maintaining and improving our parks, managing city finances, and so much more.
I invite you to explore the highlights of our work in this year’s annual report—and to experience the results firsthand in our improved facilities, streets, and public spaces.
Meeting challenges with collaboration, respect, and empathy
Staying grounded in our values of collaboration, respect, and empathy has helped our City navigate a year full of challenges.
I’ve seen firsthand how thoughtful dialogue between community members, nonprofits, businesses, staff, and City Council has created better outcomes for our community.
I invite you to attend a City Council meeting, weigh in on projects, or come out to an event. When we come together, we create a stronger, happier, more resilient community.
Highlights of the City’s work in 2025
This past year, I’ve had the chance to see so much great work across the City. Our staff completed projects that make our neighborhoods safer, our parks and community spaces more welcoming, and our services easier for everyone to access.
The new Willard Clubhouse is one example. With the new, larger building, we can offer afterschool and camp programs to more children. The building is fully accessible and designed with sustainability in mind.
An overhaul of streets in the Southside neighborhood made it safer and easier to walk, bike, and take transit. Protected bike lanes, bus-only lanes, raised intersections, and more help ease travel through one of the region’s densest areas while enhancing safety for everyone.
Through the City’s Housing Trust Fund, we added 192 affordable housing units, with 701 more in the pipeline. The reopened West Berkeley Family Wellness Center offers vaccinations, breastfeeding support, yoga classes, and more to support our community’s wellbeing.
Berkeley is a city that has shaped my life and enhanced my wellbeing for nearly three decades. It’s where I met my wife and got my degree. I watched my sons take archery lessons in the early morning fog at Glendale La Loma Park and play basketball at James Kenney Park. I ride my bike through South Berkeley to work at City Hall every day, and I appreciate the collective care and attention staff, the City Council, and community have put into making these experiences possible and enjoyable.
Learn more about these meaningful improvements in our annual report, a document I intend to provide annually, to highlight the many investments into Berkeley’s future.
If you’d like to share any comments or introduce yourself, please email me at pbuddenhagen@berkeleyca.gov.
