How Malvern is run
Who runs Malvern, 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 Malvern's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Malvern
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
Malvern city staff
Arkansas has no statewide pay database. The 2026 budget resolution lists department totals only; the 48-page budget document is not posted online, and we found no staff count or pay list. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Malvern 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 2024 general fund budget, as amended, planned a $789,596 drop in fund balance; the actual drop was $262,514. The 2026 budget resolution has no multi-year forecast; the council found its expenditure schedule as accurate as possible. Arkansas Legislative Audit · Aug 20, 2025
Savings
Unassigned general fund balance: $3.6M (2024-12-31). Arkansas Legislative Audit · Aug 20, 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 2024 actual.
Comes from
- Sales taxes$5.6M · 76%
- Property taxes$538,670 · 7%
- Insurance proceeds$266,105 · 4%
- Transfers in$263,154 · 4%
- State aid$167,582 · 2%
- Local permits and fees$82,683 · 1%
- Other$446,302 · 6%
Goes to (2024 actual)
- Law enforcement$2.7M · 35%
- Public safety (fire)$1.8M · 23%
- General government$1.1M · 14%
- Transfers out$904,001 · 12%
- Sanitation$566,622 · 7%
- Recreation and culture$451,096 · 6%
- Other$199,322 · 3%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Of each property-tax dollar a Malvern homeowner paid on the 2025 levy, about 73 cents went to the Malvern School District, 16 cents to Hot Spring County and 11 cents to the city.
11¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Malvern
- Malvern School District41.14 · 73%
- Hot Spring County9 · 16%
- City of Malvern5 mills general, 1 mill fire and 0.5 mill police.6.5 · 11%
- Total (mills ($ per $1,000 of assessed value))56.64
2025 property tax rates for a home in Malvern (Hot Spring County). Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration: 2025 Millage Report (2026 Collections), Hot Spring County · Mar 1, 2026
Who provides your services
Not everything in Malvern is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityMalvern Police DepartmentCity of Malvern
- FireThe cityMalvern Fire DepartmentAlso serves as medical first responder and does technical and swift water rescue.City of Malvern
- Animal controlThe cityCity of Malvern Animal ShelterCity of Malvern
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 | CamdenAR | MalvernAR | LowellAR | HarrisonAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 10,127 | 11,144 | 12,184 | 13,802 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $60,000 | Not current (2023) | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | Not current (2023) | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $916 | $684 | $1,220 | $544 |
| Debt per resident | $134 | $614 | $418 | $1,447 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $446 | $466 | $583 | $967 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | — | — | 7.0 | — |
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 Malvern 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 onlineMalvern has no city manager; the elected mayor runs the city. The elected clerk/treasurer's salary is set by ordinance. City of Malvern
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineCouncil minutes list each member's aye or nay vote by name. City of Malvern · Dec 8, 2025
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentOrdinance No. 2022-10 sets aldermen's pay at $498.65 per month for the term beginning January 1, 2023. City of Malvern · Dec 12, 2022
- No: Employee pay publishedThe posted budget resolution gives department totals only. We found no pay list or pay schedule online. City of Malvern · Dec 8, 2025
Questions to ask your council
- Sales taxes were $5.63 million of $7.13 million in general fund revenue in 2024. How would the city handle a drop in sales tax?
- The general fund sent $900,000 to the street fund in 2024, and the fund balance fell $262,514 to $3.64 million. How long can the general fund keep supporting streets at that level?
- The city's share of state pension liabilities is $5.19 million, $3.70 million of it for police and fire. How will rising LOPFI contributions be paid?
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 on December 8, 2025. See who is running for council
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