How Azusa is run
Who runs Azusa, 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 Azusa's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Who runs Azusa
A city manager hired by the council runs the city day to day. The five council members are each elected by district, and the council picks one of them as mayor. The council sets policy, adopts the budget and appoints the city manager and city attorney. Voters also elect a city clerk and a city treasurer. Fire service comes from a contract with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, and the city runs its own electric and water utility.
What they are paid
- Severance if fired without cause: 14 months' pay plus one month per year of service, up to 18 months
- City pays $30,000 a year into a 401(a) retirement plan (rising to $60,000 by July 2029) plus $6,000 a year into a 457(b) plan
- Contract runs through June 30, 2031
- City health, dental and vision contributions of $20,400 to $52,822 per member in 2025
Azusa city staff
378 full-time-equivalent positions, including Public safety 115, Water 48, Electric 42. FY2025. City of Azusa · Jan 15, 2026
The city posts salary schedules with pay ranges for every job class, and its yearly State Controller pay report without names, on its Salary & Compensation page. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Azusa 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 expects $77.1 million in general fund revenue against $76.3 million in operating costs, an $803,950 surplus. After $6.3 million for capital projects and $2.0 million paid into pension and retiree health trusts, it draws $7.5 million from reserves. The city says the draw pays for one-time capital work and long-term liabilities, not ongoing operating costs. The budget suspends the water utility users tax, so utility users tax revenue falls 47.3% to $1.95 million. City of Azusa · Jun 15, 2026
Savings
Unassigned general fund balance: $64.5M (2025-06-30). City of Azusa · Jan 15, 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
- Property tax$18.7M · 22%
- Other taxes (business license, landfill, hotel, franchise and others)$13M · 15%
- Charges for services$11.1M · 13%
- Transaction and use tax (Measures Z and ZZ)$9.4M · 11%
- Sales tax$7.5M · 9%
- Drawn from general fund reserves$7.5M · 9%
- Money and property use (interest and rents)$5M · 6%
- Licenses and permits$3.5M · 4%
- Other (transfers in, utility users tax, fines, special fee programs, misc.)$8.9M · 11%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police (public safety, not counting fire)$28.6M · 34%
- Citywide costs (not counting pension bonds)$7.3M · 9%
- Fire contract with Los Angeles County$7M · 8%
- Community resources (recreation, seniors, transportation)$6.5M · 8%
- Capital improvement projects$6.3M · 7%
- Economic development$5.9M · 7%
- Public works$5.8M · 7%
- Pension obligation bond payments$4.8M · 6%
- Other (library, finance, pension and retiree health trusts, city manager, clerk, HR, council and others)$12.5M · 15%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Azusa is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityAzusa Police DepartmentCity of Azusa · Jan 15, 2026
- ElectricityThe cityAzusa Light & Water (city-owned)Also serves parts of surrounding communities.City of Azusa · Jan 15, 2026
- WaterThe cityAzusa Light & Water (city-owned)Also serves parts of surrounding communities.City of Azusa · Jan 15, 2026
- Trash and recyclingContractorAthens Services (exclusive city franchise)City of Azusa · Jun 16, 2025
- LibraryThe cityAzusa City Library (city)City of Azusa · Jan 15, 2026
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of Azusa Community Resources and Public WorksCity of Azusa · Jan 15, 2026
- StreetsThe cityCity of Azusa Public WorksCity of Azusa · Jan 15, 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 | BreaCA | AzusaCA | CeresCA | Los BanosCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 47,656 | 48,549 | 49,075 | 49,255 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $349,620 | $335,000 | $198,000 | $238,800 |
| Council member pay | $9,888 | $15,300 | Not confirmed | $3,600 |
| General fund per resident | $1,604 | $1,743 | $570 | $821 |
| Debt per resident | $803 | $2,020 | $152 | $277 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $3,330 | $431 | $878 | $649 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 8.5 | 7.8 | 3.4 | 5.0 |
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). Ceres pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Azusa 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 Azusa
- Yes: City manager's contract findable onlineThe Sixth Amendment and a staff report listing all earlier pay changes are in the July 20, 2026 council agenda packet. City of Azusa · Jul 20, 2026
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member online City of Azusa
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineCouncil meeting videos and agendas are on the city's Granicus archive; minutes are posted in later agenda packets. City of Azusa
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public document City of Azusa · Jul 1, 2026
- Yes: Employee pay published City of Azusa
Questions to ask your council
- Utility users tax revenue is budgeted to fall 47.3% to $1.95 million after the water utility users tax was suspended. How will the city replace that money in later years?
- The city owed $59.2 million in pension obligation bonds on June 30, 2025 and pays about $4.75 million a year on them, while CalPERS reports the miscellaneous plan 94.62% funded. How will the city keep new pension shortfalls from building up?
- The city manager's contract now runs to June 30, 2031, and adds lifetime retiree medical for him and his spouse if he retires on or after June 30, 2029. What will that benefit cost the city over time?
The fiscal year starts July 1. Azusa adopts a two-year budget; the council adopted the FY2025-26 and FY2026-27 budget on June 16, 2025. For the second year, the council held a goals and budget study session on May 26, 2026 and took up the FY2026-27 budget at its June 15, 2026 meeting. See who is running for council
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