How Searcy is run
Who runs Searcy, 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 Searcy's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 11, 2026.
Who runs Searcy
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
Searcy city staff
Arkansas has no statewide pay database. The 2026 budget gives department totals but no citywide staff count, and we found no published employee pay list. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Searcy 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 general fund budget expects $30.22 million of revenue and $27.49 million of department spending. After $754,626 of capital requests it plans a surplus of $1.97 million. We found no multi-year forecast. City of Searcy · Jan 8, 2026
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $19.6M (2024-12-31). The city's own target: No formal reserve policy. 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 · Aug 4, 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 FY2026.
Goes to (FY2026)
- Police$6.9M · 25%
- Sanitation$5.2M · 19%
- Fire$4.3M · 15%
- Mayor's department$3.1M · 11%
- Other (parks, maintenance, district court, IT, planning, library, clerk, public works, city attorney, and capital requests)$8.7M · 31%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Of each property-tax dollar a Searcy homeowner in the Searcy Special School District paid on the 2025 levy, 88 cents went to the school district, 2 cents to the city and 10 cents to White County. Most of the city's money comes from sales tax.
2¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Searcy
- Searcy Special School District35.7 · 88%
- City of Searcy0.8 · 2%
- White County4.1 · 10%
- Total (mills ($ per $1,000 of assessed value))40.6
2025 property tax rates for a home in Searcy (White County). Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration: 2025 Millage Report (2026 Collections), White County · Mar 1, 2026
Who provides your services
Not everything in Searcy is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe citySearcy Police DepartmentThe department has 60 sworn officers and 19 non-sworn staff.City of Searcy
- Fire and EMSThe citySearcy Fire DepartmentA career department with over 50 full-time employees in three fire stations; it provides fire suppression, rescue and emergency medical response.City of Searcy
- WaterThe citySearcy Water Utilities (Searcy Board of Public Utilities)Searcy Water Utilities (enterprise fund of the City of Searcy): Audited Financial Statements, June 30, 2025, Note 1
- SewerThe citySearcy Water Utilities (Searcy Board of Public Utilities)Searcy Water Utilities (enterprise fund of the City of Searcy): Audited Financial Statements, June 30, 2025, Note 1
- TrashThe citySearcy Sanitation DepartmentOne-day-a-week trash collection, scheduled by ward.City of Searcy
- StreetsThe cityCity of Searcy Public Works (Streets & Drainage)City of Searcy
- AirportThe citySearcy Regional Airport (city airport fund)Arkansas Legislative Audit · Aug 4, 2025
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 | BryantAR | SearcyAR | CentertonAR | RussellvilleAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 22,815 | 24,351 | 27,176 | 29,521 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $92,521 |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $10,268 |
| General fund per resident | $900 | $1,160 | $575 | $696 |
| Debt per resident | $2,324 | $4,033 | $1,429 | $2,441 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $865 | $700 | $422 | $555 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 11.1 | — | 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 Searcy publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineThe city posts its 2026 Budget for Operations, adopted by Ordinance 2026-01 on January 8, 2026. City of Searcy
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineSearcy has no city manager; the elected mayor heads the city government. Arkansas Legislative Audit · Aug 4, 2025
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlinePosted council minutes list each member voting yes on motions. City of Searcy
- No: Council pay stated in a public documentWe found no readable ordinance or budget line stating council members' pay. City of Searcy
- No: Employee pay publishedThe 2026 budget shows department personnel totals but no pay by position or employee list. City of Searcy · Jan 8, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The city owed $98.21 million in bonds, most of it 2024 sales tax bonds for parks and recreation due through 2044. How will the payments affect other uses of the sales tax?
- Unassigned general fund reserves were $19.58 million at the end of 2024, and the city has no formal reserve policy. Should the council set a reserve target?
- The city's pension liabilities total $17.05 million, including $10.57 million in the police and fire plan (LOPFI). How will rising contributions be paid?
- The 2026 general fund budget plans a $1.97 million surplus after capital requests. What should the surplus be used for?
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 January 8, 2026. See who is running for council
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