How Jonesboro is run
Who runs Jonesboro, 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 Jonesboro's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Jonesboro
Jonesboro has an elected mayor-council government. The mayor manages the city administration, proposes the yearly budget and presides over the 12-member city council, which adopts the budget.
What they are paid
Jonesboro city staff
Arkansas has no statewide pay database. The 2026 budget lists authorized positions by department but gives no pay list by employee. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Jonesboro 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.
The city's own outlook
The 2026 budget plans general fund revenue of $63.44 million and spending of $65.0 million, a $1.56 million shortfall covered from reserves. The mayor held revenue estimates to 2025 levels, deferred new positions, and proposed spending $3 million of reserves on streets. City of Jonesboro · Dec 16, 2025
Savings
Unassigned general fund balance: $16.3M (2025-12-31). Arkansas Legislative Audit · Aug 6, 2026
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 FY2026.
Comes from
- City sales taxes$27.3M · 43%
- County sales tax$21.9M · 35%
- Fines$1.5M · 2%
- Alcohol beverage tax$721,739 · 1%
- Other$12.1M · 19%
Goes to (FY2026)
- Police, jail, courts and code enforcement$25.5M · 39%
- Fire$15.4M · 24%
- General government$11.1M · 17%
- Sanitation and parks$12.6M · 19%
- Mosquito control$460,000 · 1%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Of each property-tax dollar a Jonesboro homeowner in the Jonesboro School District pays, about 80 cents go to the school district, 15 cents to Craighead County and 5 cents to the city. Homes in the other school districts inside the city pay between 43.52 and 51.48 mills.
5¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Jonesboro
- Jonesboro School District33.1 · 80%
- Craighead County6.1 · 15%
- City of Jonesboro2 · 5%
- Total (mills ($ per $1,000 of assessed value))41.2
2025 property tax rates for a home in Jonesboro in the Jonesboro School District (Craighead County). Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration: 2025 Millage Report (2026 Collections), Craighead County · Mar 1, 2026
See what a Jonesboro home costs each year, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Jonesboro is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityJonesboro Police Department159 sworn officer positions.City of Jonesboro
- FireThe cityJonesboro Fire Department136 full-time personnel in 7 stations.City of Jonesboro
- Electricity, water and sewerAnother agencyCity Water and LightOperates as a separate organization; the city council appoints six of its sixteen board members.Arkansas Legislative Audit · Aug 6, 2026
- TrashThe cityCity of Jonesboro Sanitation DepartmentCity of Jonesboro
- StreetsThe cityCity of Jonesboro Street Department54 full-time employees.City of Jonesboro
- ParksThe cityJonesboro Parks and Recreation DepartmentTwenty-five parks and four cemeteries.City of Jonesboro
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 | BentonvilleAR | JonesboroAR | Fort SmithAR | FayettevilleAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 63,057 | 83,296 | 90,855 | 106,623 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $215,000 | $167,800 |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not current (2023) | Not current (2021) |
| General fund per resident | $1,401 | $780 | $611 | $760 |
| Debt per resident | $2,380 | $211 | $2,802 | $1,286 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $877 | $343 | $717 | $586 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 11.9 | — | 12.4 | 9.1 |
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 Jonesboro publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted online City of Jonesboro
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineJonesboro has no city manager; the elected mayor manages the city administration. City of Jonesboro
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineCouncil minutes on Legistar list each member's aye or nay vote. City of Jonesboro · Dec 16, 2025
- Partly: Council pay stated in a public documentThe 2026 budget states $143,018 of salaries for the 12 aldermen together, not pay per member. City of Jonesboro · Dec 16, 2025
- Partly: Employee pay publishedThe council adopts the city salary plan with pay ranges by job title and grade. We found no pay list by employee. City of Jonesboro · Dec 16, 2025
Questions to ask your council
- General fund balance fell $6.55 million to $16.86 million during 2025, mostly through $7.1 million of transfers to capital and equipment funds. The 2026 budget plans another $1.56 million shortfall. How long can reserves keep paying for capital work?
- The city's share of the police and fire pension plan (LOPFI) liability is $28.57 million, and the city paid $4.81 million into the plan in 2025. How will rising contributions be funded?
- The $17.6 million franchise tax bonds run to 2055. What else is franchise fee revenue no longer available for in the general fund?
The fiscal year runs January 1 to December 31. By December 1 the mayor gives the council a proposed budget, the council discusses it at a meeting, and it must be enacted before February 1. The council adopted the 2026 budget 11 to 1 on December 16, 2025. See who is running for council
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