How Bullhead City is run
Who runs Bullhead City, 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 Bullhead City's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 11, 2026.
Who runs Bullhead City
A city manager hired by the council runs the city day to day. The council sets policy, adopts the budget and sets the tax rate.
What they are paid
- The agreement requires a yearly council review of his performance
- All other terms of his existing employment agreement stay in effect
Bullhead City city staff
374 full-time-equivalent positions, including General fund 242, Wastewater 35, Water 34, Streets 25. FY2026-27 budget. City of Bullhead City · Jun 16, 2026
Budgeted full-time positions. Arizona has no statewide city pay database, and we found no city-published pay list by position. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Bullhead City 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
City policy is a balanced budget each year, with estimated revenues equal to appropriations. For FY2026-27 the general fund plans $50.5M of spending and $10.7M of transfers to other funds against $51.2M of revenue, starting the year with an expected $33.0M fund balance. City of Bullhead City · Jun 16, 2026
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $42.8M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: Keep a minimum unassigned general fund balance equal to 30% of the current year's general fund spending, to cover any shortfalls in the enterprise funds and required special assessment debt payments if assessment collections fall short. City of Bullhead City · Dec 19, 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 FY2026-27.
Comes from
- City sales tax$23.3M · 45%
- State shared income tax$8.8M · 17%
- State shared sales tax$6.9M · 13%
- State shared vehicle license tax (auto lieu)$4.4M · 9%
- Building permits$1.3M · 3%
- Special police services$1.2M · 2%
- Investment income$993,500 · 2%
- Other (bed and franchise taxes, other permits and fees, fines, grants, rents, miscellaneous)$4.5M · 9%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$23M · 45%
- General government$7.6M · 15%
- Culture and recreation$6.8M · 13%
- Contingency$2M · 4%
- Capital outlay$1.9M · 4%
- Legal services$1.8M · 4%
- Municipal court$1.7M · 3%
- Other (health and welfare, finance, public works, executive, council, personnel, elections, economic development, debt service)$5.7M · 11%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
The city takes none of the property tax bill. The fire district is the largest single part. Arizona's state aid reduces the school portion for owner-occupied homes.
0¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Bullhead City
- Bullhead City Fire DistrictOperating 3.51 plus bond debt 0.13853.6485 · 33%
- Colorado River Union High School DistrictOperating 1.6159 plus bond debt 0.33121.9471 · 17%
- Mohave County1.8147 · 16%
- Bullhead City Elementary School District1.6151 · 14%
- Mohave Community College1.076 · 10%
- County flood control, library, fire assistance and TV districts0.8511 · 8%
- Bullhead City Pest Abatement District0.1436 · 1%
- Western Arizona Vocational Education District0.05 · <1%
- City of Bullhead CityThe city levies no property tax0 · <1%
- Total ($ per $100 of assessed value)11.1461
Tax year 2025 (FY2025-26) rates for a home in Bullhead City (Mohave County, tax area 1579). Mohave County
See what a Bullhead City home costs each year, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Bullhead City is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityBullhead City Police DepartmentCity of Bullhead City · Dec 19, 2025
- 911 dispatchThe cityBullhead City Police Department 911 Communications SectionIt also dispatches for the Bullhead City Fire Department and several nearby fire departments.City of Bullhead City · Jun 16, 2026
- WaterThe cityBullhead City Utilities (water fund)FY2025 was the city's third full year running the local water system.City of Bullhead City · Dec 19, 2025
- SewerThe cityBullhead City Utilities (wastewater fund)City of Bullhead City · Dec 19, 2025
- TrashContractorRepublic Services, under contract with the cityCity of Bullhead City
- StreetsThe cityCity of Bullhead CityCity of Bullhead City · Dec 19, 2025
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of Bullhead CityCity of Bullhead City · Dec 19, 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 | San LuisAZ | Bullhead CityAZ | Sierra VistaAZ | Lake Havasu CityAZ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 42,030 | 43,987 | 44,907 | 59,358 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $170,000 | $245,000 | Not confirmed | Not current (2023) |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not current (2022) |
| General fund per resident | $950 | $1,149 | $1,259 | $1,803 |
| Debt per resident | $974 | $3,095 | $635 | $2,862 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $368 | $769 | $1,291 | $1,661 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 9.3 | 8.5 | 9.5 | 8.6 |
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 Bullhead City publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineThe FY2027 adopted budget book and the official state budget forms ($199.8M) are posted on the city's budget page. City of Bullhead City
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineApproved minutes list each member's vote; the FY2027 final budget passed 6 to 0 on June 16, 2026. City of Bullhead City Council
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineThe city's meetings page links council meeting video, action agendas and approved minutes. City of Bullhead City
- No: Council pay stated in a public documentThe budget shows only combined part-time wages for the mayor and council ($92,742). We found no document stating each official's pay. City of Bullhead City · Jun 16, 2026
- No: Employee pay publishedThe city's pay page posts only a payday calendar. The budget forms show total salaries by fund, not pay by position. City of Bullhead City
Questions to ask your council
- Unassigned general fund reserves were $42.8 million on June 30, 2025, against a policy minimum of 30% of general fund spending. What is the plan for the amount above the minimum?
- The FY2026-27 budget moves $10.7 million from the general fund to other funds and starts from an expected $33.0 million fund balance. Which projects and debts do those transfers pay for?
- The police pension plan was 52.85% funded, with a net pension liability of $33.8 million. How fast does the city plan to pay this down?
- City sales tax is budgeted at $23.3 million of the $51.2 million in general fund revenue for FY2026-27, and the city levies no property tax. How would the budget handle a drop in sales?
The fiscal year starts July 1. The council held an all-day budget work session April 20, 2026, adopted the tentative budget May 19, and adopted the final $199.8 million budget June 16. The city levies no property tax. See who is running for council
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