How Little Rock is run
Who runs Little Rock, 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 Little Rock's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Little Rock
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
Little Rock city staff
2,265 full-time-equivalent positions, including General fund 1,826, Other operating funds 439. FY2026 adopted budget. Authorized full-time positions in the six operating funds. The general fund supports 1,826 of them. City of Little Rock · Jun 30, 2026
Arkansas has no statewide pay database, and we found no pay list by employee for Little Rock. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Little Rock 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 city projected that 2026 general fund revenue would not keep up with costs, driven by 5% raises for police and fire, health insurance and jail costs. The mayor says the board continues to pass a balanced budget each year. City of Little Rock · Jun 30, 2026
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $35.2M (2025-12-31). The city's own target: Board policy sets a goal of $10 million or 10% of budgeted general fund revenues, whichever is greater. The board has set the reserve at $13.1 million so far, and intends to raise it gradually to 10%. The city meets this target. City of Little Rock · Jun 30, 2026
Bar: unassigned savings of $35.2M. Line: the amount the city's target calls for.
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 FY2025 amended budget.
Comes from
- Sales taxes$148M · 54%
- Property taxes$40.1M · 15%
- Utility franchise fees$34.8M · 13%
- Licenses and permits$14.8M · 5%
- Intergovernmental$12.7M · 5%
- Charges for services$12.6M · 5%
- Other$8.6M · 3%
Goes to (FY2025 amended budget)
- Police$93.5M · 34%
- Fire$66.1M · 24%
- General administration$30.9M · 11%
- Transfers to other funds$13.1M · 5%
- Parks and recreation$11M · 4%
- Housing and neighborhood programs$8.1M · 3%
- Zoo$8M · 3%
- Other$41.1M · 15%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Of each property-tax dollar a Little Rock homeowner paid on the 2025 levy, about 66 cents went to the school district, 24 cents to the city and 10 cents to Pulaski County.
24¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Little Rock
- Little Rock School District46.4 · 66%
- City of Little RockIncludes the city's library and bond levies.16.55 · 24%
- Pulaski County7.05 · 10%
- Total (mills)70
2025 property tax rates for a home in Little Rock (Pulaski County). City of Little Rock · Jun 30, 2026
See what a Little Rock home costs each year, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Little Rock is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- FireThe cityCity of Little RockCity of Little Rock · Jun 30, 2026
- Ambulance (EMS)Another agencyMetropolitan Emergency Medical Services (Little Rock Ambulance Authority)Five of its seven board members are appointed by the City Board.City of Little Rock · Jun 30, 2026
- 911 dispatchThe cityCity of Little RockA separate 911 Emergency Communications division since 2022.City of Little Rock · Jun 30, 2026
- WaterAnother agencyCentral Arkansas WaterCreated by Little Rock and North Little Rock in 2001 to run a consolidated water system.City of Little Rock · Jun 30, 2026
- TrashThe cityCity of Little RockCity of Little Rock · Jun 30, 2026
- StreetsThe cityCity of Little RockCity of Little Rock · Jun 30, 2026
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of Little RockCity of Little Rock · Jun 30, 2026
- LibraryAnother agencyCentral Arkansas Library SystemSix of its nine trustees are appointed by the City Board.City of Little Rock · Jun 30, 2026
- Public transitAnother agencyRock Region MetroCity of Little Rock · Jun 30, 2026
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 | JonesboroAR | Fort SmithAR | FayettevilleAR | Little RockAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 83,296 | 90,855 | 106,623 | 206,427 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | $215,000 | $167,800 | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | Not current (2023) | Not current (2021) | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $780 | $611 | $760 | $1,318 |
| Debt per resident | $211 | $2,802 | $1,286 | $809 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $343 | $717 | $586 | $992 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | — | 12.4 | 9.1 | 11.0 |
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 Little Rock publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineWe found no posted contract for City Manager Delphone Hubbard. The city website did not respond to our checker. Arkansas Times · Jun 17, 2025
- No: Council pay stated in a public documentWe found no readable document stating mayor or director pay. The city website did not respond to our checker. City of Little Rock · Jun 30, 2026
- No: Employee pay publishedThe audited report gives only staff counts by department. We found no pay list by employee. City of Little Rock · Jun 30, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The general fund balance fell $10.1 million in FY2025 as spending ran $16.7 million above revenue. How will the city keep the FY2026 budget balanced?
- The board's reserve stands at $13.1 million, while its own goal is 10% of general fund revenues. When will the reserve reach that goal?
- Police ($93.5 million) and fire ($66.1 million) were the largest general fund costs in the FY2025 amended budget. How will the city pay for the FY2026 raises?
- Pension liabilities totaled $204.8 million on December 31, 2025. What is the plan to pay them down?
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