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City of Pleasanton Operating Budget • FY 2023/24 - FY 2024/2519 <br />Historical Overview <br />The area that grew to be the city of Pleasanton <br />played a significant role in California history <br />as a Native American settlement and later a <br />Spanish settlement during the Mission period, <br />a growing crossroads during the Gold Rush <br />and railroad development eras, and in the <br />agricultural and film making industries. <br />The City’s environs were settled 4,000 years <br />ago by the Ohlone Indians and became a <br />thriving agricultural area when the Spanish <br />arrived in the 1770s. Located along the first <br />Transcontinental railway, the area was known <br />as Alisal in the 1850s when it served as a main <br />mercantile stopover during the Gold Rush <br />era. The town also enjoyed the nickname “The <br />Most Desperate Town in the West,” due to <br />many bandits who ambushed gold miners <br />returning with their riches. Rolling grasslands <br />were dotted with cattle and the area was <br />home to the largest hops crop in the United <br />States. The town was also home to a 500 acre <br />ranch purchased in the 1880s by George and <br />Phoebe Apperson Hearst. Pleasanton was <br />incorporated in 1894 and named for Major <br />General Alfred Pleasonton of the Union Army. <br />A typographical error by the U.S. Post Office <br />is believed to be responsible for the current <br />spelling of the City’s name. <br />Vision Statement <br />Pleasanton is a well-planned, balanced <br />community with desirable neighborhoods, <br />an award-winning downtown with a small- <br />town character, a diversified economic base, <br />excellent schools, and a wide variety of <br />community facilities. Pleasanton is a great <br />place to live, raise a family, work, and do <br />business. <br />As the City approaches buildout in the next <br />few years, it will strive to maintain these <br />desirable qualities by continuing to develop a <br />safe, convenient, and uncongested circulation <br />system by providing a comprehensive <br />system of bicycle and pedestrian trails; by <br />providing additional recreational and cultural <br />facilities for the health and well-being of <br />its residents; by strengthening outreach <br />to business of all sizes; and by preserving <br />natural resources, including water and air <br />quality, and the community’s environmental <br />sensitivity. The City will seek to minimize <br />health and safety hazards. Pleasanton is <br />committed to sustainable community <br />principles and will meet the needs of the <br />current generation without compromising <br />future generations. Pleasanton will maintain <br />a positive and productive relationship with <br />the Tri-Valley region, working collaboratively <br />to address traffic and land use issues. The <br />City will continue to emphasize community <br />participation and model the principles of <br />the “Community of Character” of respect, <br />responsibility, compassion, self-discipline, <br />honesty, and integrity. The City’s future, <br />this vision, will depend upon maintaining a <br />balanced budget, using its financial resources <br />wisely, and continuing to promote Pleasanton <br />as the premier place to live, work, and do <br />business. <br /> <br />PLEASANTON <br />ABOUT THE CITY OF