How Centerton is run
Who runs Centerton, what it costs, and where your money goes
The city manager, council pay, the budget, your property tax bill and who provides each service, from Centerton's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 11, 2026.
Who runs Centerton
The elected mayor heads the city government and appoints its top administrator and department heads. The council passes laws, adopts the budget and sets the tax rate.
What they are paid
Centerton city staff
140 full-time-equivalent positions, including Fire 46. 2026. City of Centerton · Jan 13, 2026
Arkansas has no statewide pay database. We found no posted budget or pay list by employee. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Centerton in the red?
Cities must pass a balanced budget, so "profit" and "deficit" mean something different here. The useful questions: does the city's everyday money (the general fund) cover its everyday costs, how much does it keep in savings compared with its own target, and how big are its pension and debt bills.
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $12.8M (2024-12-31). The city's own target: The council commits fund balance by ordinance and may assign amounts to specific purposes, although a formal policy has not been established. Arkansas Legislative Audit · Nov 13, 2025
Why we skip the "budgeted deficit": many cities plan to dip into savings, then spend less than planned. The audited result tells you what really happened.
Where the money comes from and goes
The general fund only: the city's everyday money for FY2024.
Comes from
- Sales taxes$9M · 56%
- Property taxes$2.4M · 15%
- Local permits and fees$1.2M · 8%
- Franchise fees$1M · 6%
- Ambulance revenue$502,662 · 3%
- Grant income$467,283 · 3%
- Interest$347,127 · 2%
- Other$1.2M · 7%
Goes to (FY2024)
- Public safety$5.8M · 37%
- Law enforcement$4.6M · 30%
- General government$2.4M · 15%
- Recreation and culture$1.7M · 11%
- Highways and streets$1.1M · 7%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Of each property-tax dollar a Centerton homeowner in the Bentonville School District paid on the 2025 levy, about 76 cents went to the school district, 16 cents to Benton County and 9 cents to the city. Parts of Centerton in the Decatur and Gravette school districts pay 53.98 and 50.79 mills.
9¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Centerton
- Bentonville School District46.8 · 76%
- Benton County9.7 · 16%
- City of Centerton5.4 · 9%
- Total (mills ($ per $1,000 of assessed value))61.9
2025 property tax rates for a home in Centerton in the Bentonville School District (Benton County). Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration: 2025 Millage Report (2026 Collections), Benton County · Mar 1, 2026
See what a Centerton home costs each year, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Centerton is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityCenterton Police DepartmentCity of Centerton
- FireThe cityCenterton Fire DepartmentFull-time department with 46 members at two stations.City of Centerton
- Ambulance (EMS)The cityCenterton Fire DepartmentCity of Centerton
- TrashContractorWaste ManagementCity of Centerton
- StreetsThe cityCenterton Public Works DepartmentCity of Centerton
- ParksThe cityCenterton Public Works Department, Parks DivisionCity of Centerton
Compared with similar cities
The cities in this state closest in population that we cover. Read it for scale, not as a ranking: cities provide different services.
| Per city | SearcyAR | CentertonAR | RussellvilleAR | ParagouldAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 24,351 | 27,176 | 29,521 | 31,135 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $92,521 | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $10,268 | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $1,160 | $575 | $696 | $875 |
| Debt per resident | $4,033 | $1,429 | $2,441 | $195 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $700 | $422 | $555 | $482 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | — | 5.2 | — | — |
Figures as shown in each city's section, divided by its population. Years differ by state, and pension figures are measured differently in each state (each city page says how).
What Centerton publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- No: Adopted budget posted onlineThe council adopted the 2026 budget on November 10, 2025. The budget was in the council packet, which is not posted online. City of Centerton · Nov 10, 2025
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineCenterton has no city manager; the elected mayor proposes the budget. We found no contract for the finance director. Arkansas Legislative Audit · Nov 13, 2025
- No: Council pay stated in a public documentWe found no posted document stating council members' pay. The mayor's salary is set by ordinance and recorded in council minutes. City of Centerton
- No: Employee pay publishedWe found no posted pay list or salary schedule. Council minutes sometimes state one employee's new salary. City of Centerton · Feb 10, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The general fund ended 2024 with $12.8 million unassigned, while the 2024 general fund budget was $15.6 million, and the city has no formal reserve policy. Should the council set a written reserve target?
- The city issued $38.2 million of sales and use tax bonds in 2024, repaid through 2054. How much of each year's sales tax will go to bond payments?
- The city's share of state pension liabilities is $11.5 million, mostly in LOPFI for police and fire. How will rising contributions be paid as the fire department grows?
The fiscal year runs January 1 to December 31. By December 1 the mayor gives the council a proposed budget for the next year, the council discusses it at a meeting, and it must be enacted before February 1. The 2026 budget was adopted November 10, 2025. See who is running for council
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