How San Luis is run
Who runs San Luis, 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 San Luis's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs San Luis
A city manager hired by the council runs the city day to day. The mayor and six council members pass ordinances, adopt the budget and appoint the city manager, city attorney, magistrate and police chief.
What they are paid
- Two-year contract, Feb. 11, 2026 to Feb. 10, 2028
- Same salary adjustments as classified employees
- Health, life insurance and Arizona State Retirement System pension, like other employees
- Three months' salary as severance if fired without cause
- Paid for 100% of unused sick and vacation leave when the contract ends
San Luis city staff
392 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police 86, Fire 45, Ambulance 30. FY2026-27. Citywide full-time equivalents in the budget's position summary (the column is labeled Request 2026-27), up from 343 in FY2023-24. City of San Luis · Sep 22, 2026
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 San Luis 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's five-year forecast shows a $3.8 million general fund operating shortfall in FY2026-27, then yearly surpluses of $2.5 million to $3.1 million through FY2030-31. Planned capital spending draws fund balance down from $45.0 million to about $27.9 million, still above the six-month reserve target. City of San Luis · Sep 22, 2026
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $44.7M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: Keep a minimum unrestricted fund balance equal to six months of operating spending. City of San Luis · Nov 24, 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$18.6M · 48%
- State shared income tax (urban revenue sharing)$8.8M · 23%
- State shared sales tax$6.3M · 16%
- State shared vehicle license tax$2.5M · 6%
- Building permits$830,000 · 2%
- Electric franchise fee (APS)$638,250 · 2%
- Other (licenses, franchise fees, fines, interest, recreation)$953,070 · 2%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$10.6M · 27%
- Fire$6.6M · 17%
- Non-departmental$5.1M · 13%
- Parks grounds$2M · 5%
- City Council$1.3M · 3%
- Municipal court$1.2M · 3%
- Information technology$1.2M · 3%
- Other departments$11.9M · 30%
Who provides your services
Not everything in San Luis is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe citySan Luis Police DepartmentCity of San Luis · Nov 24, 2025
- FireThe citySan Luis Fire DepartmentCity of San Luis · Nov 24, 2025
- EMS / ambulanceThe cityCity of San Luis (ambulance services fund)Emergency 9-1-1 response and emergency medical transportationCity of San Luis · Nov 24, 2025
- WaterThe cityCity of San Luis (water fund)City of San Luis · Nov 24, 2025
- SewerThe cityCity of San Luis (wastewater fund)City of San Luis · Nov 24, 2025
- TrashThe cityCity of San Luis (sanitation fund)City of San Luis · Nov 24, 2025
- StreetsThe cityCity of San Luis Public WorksCity of San Luis · Nov 24, 2025
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of San Luis Parks and RecreationFive parks on 90 acres, a pool, a youth center and a senior centerCity of San Luis · Nov 24, 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 San Luis 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 San Luis · Sep 22, 2026
- Yes: City manager's contract findable onlineThe manager's contract is attached to the Feb. 25, 2026 council agenda item in the city's online agenda system. City of San Luis · Feb 5, 2026
- No: Council pay stated in a public documentThe budget shows $284,430 for council salaries and related costs but no pay rate. We found no ordinance stating council pay. City of San Luis · Sep 22, 2026
- No: Employee pay publishedThe budget lists authorized positions by department but no pay by position. Arizona has no statewide city pay database. City of San Luis
Questions to ask your council
- Unassigned general fund reserves were $44.7 million on June 30, 2025, more than the $39.9 million general fund spending budget for FY2026-27. How much does the city plan to keep, and what will the rest pay for?
- The general fund took in $9.9 million more than it spent in FY2025, yet the city forecasts a $3.8 million operating shortfall in FY2026-27. What explains the change?
The fiscal year starts July 1. Departments submit requests in January, the council holds a budget retreat in April, the tentative budget is presented in June (June 10, 2026 this year), and the council holds a public hearing and adopts the final budget in late June (June 24, 2026). See who is running for council
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