Mission Statement, Core Values, Priority Projects

City of Mill Valley and Mill Valley City Council Mission Statements

The mission of the City of Mill Valley is to provide a full range of municipal services to community members in accordance with the general plan and City Council policy and direction. City staff shall deliver those services in an efficient, effective, equitable and respectful manner with a commitment to operational excellence.

The mission of the Mill Valley City Council is to serve faithfully Mill Valley community members and to create, strengthen and sustain a livable community for all. The Council does this by setting policy for the City and direction for Mill Valley’s City Manager and its Boards and Commissions, at all times guided by their Core Values. 

Core Values

• The health and safety of all community members.
• Prudent fiscal policies and practices.
• A livable community designed to be sustainable, accessible, and inclusive that meets the needs of all.
• A vibrant, welcoming, small town community that supports continued diversity of housing, income levels and lifestyles.
• A healthy natural environment with emphasis on conservation, open space, sustainability and climate change mitigation.
• A balanced, inclusive, and open approach to policy-making and city leadership.
• Community engagement that promotes open communication, mutual respect, and the development of community leaders from all backgrounds and life experiences.
• Economic vitality with an emphasis on small and local serving businesses.
• Operational excellence.

Key Issues

• Emergency preparedness with a focus on fire, flood, earthquake, cybersecurity and sea level rise.
• Environmental conservation and sustainability, with a focus on climate protection.
• Land use and housing – residential and commercial development with emphasis on affordable housing for workforce, elderly, and low-income residents at a scale and density consistent with Mill Valley's sense of community.
• Traffic mitigation, multimodal transportation and parking solutions.
• Infrastructure maintenance and enhancement.
• Attraction and retention of local serving businesses, and support business vitality through planning and arts and cultural programming.
• Budget management and mitigating fiscal impacts of changes in economic conditions.
• Effective and meaningful engagement and communication between City staff/Council and the community.
• Excellence in customer service.
• Encouragement and cultivation of community leadership and participation on government commissions, boards and committees.

Mill Valley City Council 2023 Priority Projects:

Council held a Special Meeting on March 23, 2023 to review and confirm the City's guiding principles, the status of established priority projects, and to identify areas of interest for continued focus and new topics or initiatives for future action. Council agreed on a Work Plan for 2023: