How Apple Valley is run
Who runs Apple Valley, 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 Apple Valley's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Who runs Apple Valley
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
- Council auto allowances: $34,200 a year in total
- Cafeteria and other benefits: $69,600 a year in total
Apple Valley city staff
The town posts salary schedules for every job title, including the town manager. The budget book does not state a total staff count, and we did not pull pay bands from the State Controller's database. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Apple Valley 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 against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $13.4M (2022-06-30). The city's own target: The town aims to keep a general fund operating reserve equal to 25% of budgeted general fund appropriations. Town of Apple Valley · Aug 12, 2024
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 FY2025-26.
Comes from
- Measure P sales tax (1-cent, voter-approved)$11M · 22%
- Property tax in lieu of vehicle license fees$9.8M · 19%
- Sales tax (base 1%)$8.7M · 17%
- Property tax (including parks and transfer tax)$7.6M · 15%
- Solid waste franchise fee$3.4M · 7%
- Building, planning and engineering fees$2.3M · 5%
- Animal services and police fees$1.8M · 4%
- Recreation programs and aquatics$1.6M · 3%
- Other (pass-through, overhead charges, interest, code fines, business licenses, hotel tax)$4.6M · 9%
Goes to (FY2025-26)
- Police (San Bernardino County Sheriff contract)$22.5M · 47%
- Parks, recreation, aquatics and town facilities$8.8M · 18%
- Administration (council, manager, attorney, clerk, finance, HR, public information)$5M · 10%
- Animal control and shelter$3.4M · 7%
- Building, planning, engineering and economic development$3.2M · 7%
- Information technology$2.9M · 6%
- Non-departmental (insurance, loan payments, transfers out, less overhead charged to other funds)$2.5M · 5%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Apple Valley is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceContractorSan Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, by contract (Apple Valley Police Department)Town of Apple Valley General Plan
- FireSeparate districtApple Valley Fire Protection District (an independent district)Town of Apple Valley General Plan
- Ambulance / paramedicsPrivate companyAmerican Medical Response (AMR)Town of Apple Valley General Plan
- SewerThe cityTown of Apple Valley Wastewater Division (collection); Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority (treatment)Town of Apple Valley · Dec 15, 2025
- SchoolsSeparate districtApple Valley Unified School DistrictTown of Apple Valley General Plan
- StreetsThe cityTown of Apple Valley Public Works, Street Maintenance DivisionTown of Apple Valley · Dec 15, 2025
- Parks and recreationThe cityTown of Apple Valley Parks and RecreationTown of Apple Valley
- Animal servicesThe cityApple Valley Animal Services (town shelter and animal control)Town of Apple Valley · Dec 15, 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 | Lake ElsinoreCA | DublinCA | RocklinCA | Apple ValleyCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 74,483 | 74,769 | 74,842 | 75,236 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $327,540 | $377,481 | $293,459 | $290,004 |
| Council member pay | $19,200 | $19,200 | Not current (2022) | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $1,108 | $1,756 | $943 | $652 |
| Debt per resident | $2,516 | $214 | $103 | $205 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $200 | $303 | $817 | $238 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.5 | 3.6 | — |
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). Lake Elsinore and Dublin and Apple Valley pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Apple Valley publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- No: Audited financial report filed on timeThe latest audited statements we found cover the year ended June 30, 2022; the auditor's report is dated Aug. 12, 2024. None are posted on the town's finance page. Town of Apple Valley · Aug 12, 2024
- Partly: Adopted budget posted online Town of Apple Valley
- Yes: City manager's contract findable onlineThe Town Manager agreement with Guy Eisenbrey is attached to the March 24, 2026 council agenda in the town's eScribe portal. Town of Apple Valley
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member online Town of Apple Valley · Dec 15, 2025
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineThe eScribe portal posts agendas and minutes, and the town's meetings page links to meeting video. Town of Apple Valley
- No: Council pay stated in a public documentThe budget shows only a $48,662 part-time wages line for the whole council. We found no document stating each member's pay. Town of Apple Valley · Dec 15, 2025
- Yes: Employee pay publishedThe town posts salary schedules for every job title, including the town manager, on its website. Town of Apple Valley · Jul 14, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The latest audited financial statements we found are for the year ended June 30, 2022, with an auditor's report dated Aug. 12, 2024. When will the audits for FY2022-23 through FY2024-25 be finished and posted?
- The Sheriff's contract and related police costs are $22.5 million of the $49.1 million FY2025-26 general fund budget, and the new Measure P sales tax brings in $11.0 million. How much of Measure P goes to police?
- CalPERS reports the town's pension plan was 76.1% funded at June 30, 2025, with $17.9 million unfunded. What is the town's plan to pay it down?
- The town's policy calls for a general fund reserve of 25% of budgeted appropriations. The last audited figure is $13.4 million of unassigned reserves at June 30, 2022. What is the balance today?
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