How Anderson is run
Who runs Anderson, 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 Anderson's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Anderson
A city manager appointed by the City Council runs the city day to day and appoints the department heads. The five-member council is elected on a nonpartisan basis to staggered four-year terms. It passes ordinances, adopts the budget, chooses the mayor from its own members and appoints the city attorney.
What they are paid
- Five-year contract, January 3, 2024 through January 2, 2029
- Severance of 12 months' salary plus one month per year of service, capped at 18 months, if let go without cause
- City vehicle for business use and commuting, with fuel, maintenance and insurance paid
- May lower his own salary to Step 4 ($219,877) depending on the city's finances
Anderson city staff
72 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police 32, Public Works 31, Finance 5, City Manager, City Clerk and Personnel 2, Parks and Recreation 2, City Attorney 1. 2025-06-30. City of Anderson · Feb 13, 2026
The budget lists budgeted pay and benefits for every position by title. We found no city list of pay by employee name. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Anderson 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: $1.2M (2025-06-30). City of Anderson · Feb 13, 2026
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
- Sales tax$4.6M · 37%
- Measure A sales tax (transaction and use tax)$2.4M · 19%
- Property tax in lieu of vehicle license fees$1.6M · 13%
- Property tax$1.5M · 12%
- Hotel tax (transient occupancy)$679,285 · 5%
- Franchise taxes$513,755 · 4%
- Cost plan charges to other funds$393,594 · 3%
- Other (permits, fees, fines, grants, rents and other revenue)$811,244 · 7%
Goes to (FY2024-25)
- Public safety (police)$8.3M · 67%
- General government$1.6M · 13%
- Recreation and cultural$1.4M · 11%
- Community development$480,517 · 4%
- Planning$314,123 · 3%
- Capital outlay$203,974 · 2%
- Other (debt service)$38,484 · 0%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Anderson is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- Fire and emergency medicalSeparate districtAnderson Fire Protection DistrictThe district covers the city and an area north of the city limits.Anderson Fire Protection District · Oct 10, 2026
- WaterThe cityCity of AndersonCity of Anderson · Feb 13, 2026
- StreetsThe cityCity of Anderson Public WorksCity of Anderson · Feb 13, 2026
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of AndersonCity of Anderson · Feb 13, 2026
- Trash and recyclingPrivate companyWaste ManagementCity of Anderson · Oct 10, 2026
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 | PiedmontCA | Canyon LakeCA | AndersonCA | HealdsburgCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 10,802 | 10,908 | 11,050 | 11,205 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $322,494 | $280,045 | $231,462 | $303,800 |
| Council member pay | No salary | Not confirmed | $3,600 | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $3,809 | $856 | $1,134 | $1,850 |
| Debt per resident | $2,638 | $33 | $615 | $1,977 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $3,760 | $56 | $1,531 | $4,295 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 9.4 | 3.5 | 6.5 | 13.1 |
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). Canyon Lake and Anderson pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Anderson 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 second amended employment agreement is attached to item 8.2b of the June 3, 2025 agenda packet. City of Anderson · Jun 3, 2025
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineMinutes in the agenda packets list each member's yes or no vote, e.g. the 5-0 vote adopting the FY2026-27 budget. City of Anderson · Jul 1, 2025
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe budget book lists $3,600 a year for each council member and the mayor, plus health coverage. City of Anderson · Jun 17, 2025
- Partly: Employee pay publishedThe budget book lists budgeted pay and benefits for every position by title, but not by employee name. City of Anderson · Jun 17, 2025
Questions to ask your council
- The FY2026-27 budget plans $12,525,323 of general fund spending against $12,464,508 of revenue. How and when will the city rebuild the reserve it draws down?
- The general fund had $1,206,701 unassigned on June 30, 2025, after spending exceeded revenue by $388,096 in FY2024-25. Will the council adopt a written reserve target?
- The city's share of the CalPERS pension shortfall was $16.9 million at the June 30, 2024 measurement, and payments toward it reached $1,516,371 in FY2025-26. How will the budget absorb further increases?
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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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