How Alhambra is run
Who runs Alhambra, 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 Alhambra's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Who runs Alhambra
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
- 12 months' base pay as severance if fired without cause
- City car, with incidental personal use
- No cap on vacation accrual
- Contract runs through Dec. 31, 2031, then renews one year at a time unless the council gives notice
- Other benefits set by the city's executive management ordinance
Alhambra city staff
489 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police (general fund) 131, Fire suppression and paramedics 60, Library 31. FY2026-27. City of Alhambra · May 11, 2026
The city posts its labor agreements and a management salary ordinance with monthly pay ranges for every management job. We did not pull pay bands from the State Controller's database. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Alhambra 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.
Savings
Unassigned general fund balance: $1.8M (2025-06-30). City of Alhambra · Dec 29, 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
- Property tax$21.2M · 21%
- Sales tax$18.4M · 18%
- Property tax in lieu of vehicle license fees$13.8M · 14%
- Measure AI local sales tax$13.6M · 13%
- Charges for services$10.1M · 10%
- Utility users tax$5M · 5%
- Licenses and permits$4.3M · 4%
- Franchise fees$2.8M · 3%
- Other (fines, interest, grants, other taxes and fees)$12.3M · 12%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police and parking enforcement$41.7M · 40%
- Fire and paramedics$26.3M · 25%
- Parks and recreation$9.1M · 9%
- General government (council, manager, clerk, attorney, HR, city buildings)$7.9M · 8%
- Community development, code enforcement and animal control$7M · 7%
- Finance and information technology$5M · 5%
- Library$4.1M · 4%
- Other (public works, stormwater, non-departmental)$2.2M · 2%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Alhambra is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- Fire and emergency medical serviceThe cityAlhambra Fire DepartmentTwo paramedic rescue ambulances staffed around the clock out of four stationsCity of Alhambra · May 11, 2026
- 911 dispatchThe cityAlhambra Police Department Dispatch CenterCity of Alhambra
- WaterThe cityCity of Alhambra Utilities DepartmentCity of Alhambra · Dec 29, 2025
- Sewer and storm drainsThe cityCity of Alhambra Utilities DepartmentCity of Alhambra · Dec 29, 2025
- Trash and recyclingContractorRepublic Services (exclusive city franchise)City of Alhambra
- LibraryThe cityAlhambra Library (city Library Department)City of Alhambra · May 11, 2026
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of Alhambra Parks & Recreation DepartmentCity of Alhambra · May 11, 2026
- Streets, sidewalks, streetlights and signalsThe cityCity of Alhambra Public Works DepartmentCity of Alhambra
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 | MilpitasCA | Newport BeachCA | AlhambraCA | Buena ParkCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 82,107 | 82,306 | 82,544 | 82,850 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $350,000 | $363,071 | $347,169 | $332,426 |
| Council member pay | $10,852 | $21,374 | $13,253 | $17,676 |
| General fund per resident | $1,852 | $4,235 | $1,251 | $1,299 |
| Debt per resident | $857 | $1,094 | $145 | $1,123 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $3,071 | $2,956 | $1,664 | $673 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 5.5 | 11.4 | 5.9 | 3.8 |
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). Buena Park pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Alhambra publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: City manager's contract findable onlineThe city manager's contract with all three amendments is posted on the Human Resources labor relations page. City of Alhambra
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineMinutes list each member by name under ayes and noes, e.g. the 5-0 vote adopting the budget adjustments on May 11, 2026. City of Alhambra · May 11, 2026
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe council pay ordinance lists monthly pay for council members, the mayor and the vice mayor for each year through FY2027-28. City of Alhambra · Oct 28, 2024
- Yes: Employee pay published City of Alhambra
Questions to ask your council
- Police and parking enforcement take $41.7 million and fire and paramedics $26.3 million of the $103.3 million general fund budget for FY2026-27. How does the council track what that spending delivers?
- The city manager's contract runs through Dec. 31, 2031 and then renews each year unless the council gives notice. How and when does the council review her performance?
Help decide what comes next
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Every number here was checked by hand against the linked document. Cities publish on different schedules, so years differ between sections; each figure says which year it describes. Spotted something wrong or out of date?
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