How Artesia is run
Who runs Artesia, 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 Artesia's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Artesia
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
- $400 a month car allowance
- $12,000 a year city deferred compensation contribution
- Term life insurance of $300,000
- Health insurance like other unrepresented managers, or a $1,000 a month medical opt-out
- Short-term and long-term disability coverage
- Flat auto allowance of $150 a month (Resolution 25-3056)
Artesia city staff
54 full-time-equivalent positions. FY2026-27. Position summary total in the adopted budget, counting part-time positions as fractions. City of Artesia · Jun 8, 2026
The budget includes a salary schedule with pay ranges for every job title (Resolution 26-3100). We found no city list of individual employee pay. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Artesia 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 FY2026-27 budget plans a general fund surplus of $295,176, with revenue of $20,637,581 and spending of $20,342,405. The Measure AAA transaction and use tax brings an estimated $3.5 million, or 17% of general fund revenue. We found no multi-year forecast in the budget. City of Artesia · Jun 8, 2026
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $7.7M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: A 2025 council resolution sets a target for committed general fund reserves of at least 45% of general fund expenditures. The committed contingency reserve, which takes a three-fifths council vote to spend, held $5,516,877 on June 30, 2025. City of Artesia
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$4.5M · 22%
- Transaction and use tax (Measure AAA)$3.5M · 17%
- Property tax in lieu of vehicle license fees (state)$2.8M · 13%
- Building permits$1.8M · 8%
- Property tax ("No Tax City" share)$1.4M · 7%
- Business license tax$977,000 · 5%
- Cannabis tax$900,000 · 4%
- Franchise fees$900,000 · 4%
- Other (transfers in, interest, hotel tax, rents, fees, fines)$3.9M · 19%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Law enforcement (Los Angeles County Sheriff contract)$6.2M · 31%
- Public works maintenance$2.9M · 14%
- Administrative services$1.7M · 8%
- Parks and recreation$1.7M · 8%
- Fiscal services$1.3M · 7%
- Risk management$871,768 · 4%
- Human resources$663,972 · 3%
- Other (council, clerk, manager, legal, planning, building, code compliance and more)$5M · 25%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Every property pays the 1% base levy, split among local agencies, plus voter-approved debt rates for schools, the college district and the water district. The city gets about 6.7 cents of each base-levy dollar.
6¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Artesia
- Los Angeles County0.329 · 29%
- Schools (ABC Unified share of the 1% levy)0.19 · 17%
- State school shift fund (ERAF)0.203 · 18%
- LA County Fire District0.183 · 16%
- City of Artesia0.067 · 6%
- Other agencies0.028 · 2%
- ABC Unified School District bonds0.0664 · 6%
- Cerritos Community College District bonds0.0649 · 6%
- Metropolitan Water District0.007 · <1%
- Total (per $100 of assessed value)1.1383
FY2024-25 rates for a property in Artesia (Los Angeles County). City of Artesia
Who provides your services
Not everything in Artesia is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceContractorLos Angeles County Sheriff's Department (Lakewood Station)City of Artesia
- Supplemental patrolsPrivate companySouthwest PatrolCity of Artesia
- Fire and emergency medicalThe countyLos Angeles County Fire DepartmentCity of Artesia
- Trash and recyclingPrivate companyCR&R Environmental ServicesSingle franchised hauler since November 2015.City of Artesia
- SewerThe countyLos Angeles County Public WorksMaintains and operates the city's sewer pipes under an agreement.City of Artesia
- SchoolsSeparate districtABC Unified School DistrictCity of Artesia
- Streets, sidewalks and parks upkeepThe cityCity of Artesia Public WorksCity of Artesia · Jun 8, 2026
- Recreation programsThe cityCity of Artesia Parks and RecreationCity of Artesia · Jun 8, 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 | RiponCA | BlytheCA | UkiahCA | ArtesiaCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 15,873 | 15,878 | 16,138 | 16,205 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $272,873 | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | $3,600 | $10,200 | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $1,180 | $1,174 | $2,221 | $1,255 |
| Debt per resident | $307 | $630 | $8,424 | $0 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $392 | $1,521 | $1,144 | $292 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 6.9 | 4.5 | 20.0 | 3.3 |
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). Ripon and Artesia pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Artesia publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Partly: Adopted budget posted online City of Artesia
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes online City of Artesia
- No: Council pay stated in a public documentThe budget lists council salaries only as a department total. We found no posted ordinance or resolution stating the monthly rate. City of Artesia · Jun 8, 2026
- Partly: Employee pay publishedThe FY2026-27 salary schedule with pay ranges is in the budget. We found no list of individual employee pay. City of Artesia · Jun 8, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The committed contingency reserve held $5,516,877 on June 30, 2025, and the council's target is 45% of general fund spending. With FY2026-27 spending budgeted at $20,342,405, when will the reserve reach the target?
- Law enforcement costs $6,242,486 of the $20,342,405 general fund budget in FY2026-27. How does the council judge the Sheriff contract against private patrols and cameras?
- The Measure AAA transaction and use tax is expected to bring about $3.5 million in FY2026-27. How will the city report what that money pays for?
- The city's CalPERS plan was 78.1% funded on June 30, 2025, with $4.74 million unfunded. Will the council make extra payments to close the gap?
The fiscal year starts July 1. The council held a town hall on February 19, 2026 and a goal-setting meeting on February 23, held a budget study session on May 12, and adopted the FY2026-27 budget on June 8, 2026. Mid-year changes to the FY2025-26 budget were approved on February 9, 2026. See who is running for council
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