How Calexico is run
Who runs Calexico, 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 Calexico's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Calexico
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
- Three-year term, July 22, 2025 to July 22, 2028, which the city may extend up to two years
- Severance if fired without cause: 6 months' pay in year one, 4 months in year two, 2 months after that
- City vehicle for city business, with fuel and maintenance paid by the city
- Up to $5,000 in moving expenses
- Same benefits as other director-level staff, including CalPERS retirement and medical
- City medical insurance; $108,883 budgeted for the council in FY2026-27
Calexico city staff
186 full-time-equivalent positions. FY2026-27. Full-time positions citywide in the FY2026-27 budget, of which 123 are in the general fund. Departments asked for 25.5 more positions; all were deferred. City of Calexico · Jun 17, 2026
The city posts salary schedules by job class and the budget lists positions by department. We did not pull pay bands from the State Controller's pay database. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Calexico 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 general fund budget is balanced, with no new positions. The city's five-year forecast says it needs $1.5 million to $2.1 million a year of new development or new revenue to keep current services while funding equipment, facilities and rising CalPERS payments. When the Measure H sales tax ends in 2031, $4.6 million of other revenue would be needed. City of Calexico · Jun 17, 2026
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $4.9M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: The council's budget policy calls for a combined General Fund and Measure H reserve of 68 days of operations. The FY2026-27 budget says the combined reserve of about $5 million, 20% or 74 days of operating costs, meets and exceeds that policy. City of Calexico · Mar 24, 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$7.9M · 32%
- Sales tax$5.3M · 21%
- Other general revenues (business license tax, franchise fees and others)$3.1M · 13%
- Ambulance fees$3M · 12%
- Measure H sales tax transfer$2.7M · 11%
- Other (other program fees, permits and grant reimbursements)$2.9M · 12%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police (incl. traffic, animal control, code enforcement)$8.8M · 35%
- Fire and ambulance$6.9M · 28%
- Administration and non-department$4.1M · 17%
- Public works$2.2M · 9%
- Library and recreation$1.7M · 7%
- Planning, engineering and building$1.2M · 5%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Calexico is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityCalexico Police DepartmentCity of Calexico · Jun 17, 2026
- Fire protection and emergency medical servicesThe cityCalexico Fire DepartmentCity of Calexico · Jun 17, 2026
- 911 dispatchThe cityCalexico Police DepartmentCity of Calexico · Jun 17, 2026
- WaterThe cityCity of Calexico Water EnterpriseCity of Calexico · Mar 24, 2026
- Sewer and wastewater treatmentThe cityCity of Calexico Wastewater EnterpriseCity of Calexico · Mar 24, 2026
- StreetsThe cityCity of Calexico Public Works, Streets DivisionCity of Calexico · Jun 17, 2026
- ParksThe cityCity of Calexico Public Works, Parks DivisionCity of Calexico · Jun 17, 2026
- RecreationThe cityCity of Calexico Recreation DepartmentCity of Calexico · Jun 17, 2026
- LibraryThe cityCamarena Memorial Library (city)City of Calexico · Jun 17, 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 | MonroviaCA | San GabrielCA | CalexicoCA | Culver CityCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 39,094 | 39,838 | 39,881 | 40,730 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $280,716 | $282,096 | $220,000 | $370,000 |
| Council member pay | $15,300 | $10,724 | Not confirmed | $15,135 |
| General fund per resident | $1,668 | $1,504 | $623 | $5,042 |
| Debt per resident | $3,753 | $39 | $995 | $384 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $971 | $2,082 | $919 | $7,687 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 6.1 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 21.2 |
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).
What Calexico publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineThe FY2026-27 budget, taken up for adoption on June 17, 2026, is posted on the city's Adopted Budgets page. City of Calexico · Jun 17, 2026
- Yes: City manager's contract findable online City of Calexico · Jul 22, 2025
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlinePosted council minutes list each member voting yes, no, abstaining or absent on each motion. City of Calexico · Jul 1, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineMeetings stream on the city's YouTube page, and council minutes are posted on the city website. City of Calexico
- Partly: Council pay stated in a public document City of Calexico · Jun 17, 2026
- Partly: Employee pay published City of Calexico · Sep 2, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The five-year forecast says the general fund needs $1.5 million to $2.1 million a year of new revenue, and $4.6 million when the Measure H sales tax ends in 2031. What is the plan to replace Measure H?
- Departments asked for 25.5 new positions in FY2026-27 and all were deferred. Which services are most affected by keeping staffing at 123 general fund positions?
- The general fund's CalPERS unfunded liability payment is $2.95 million in FY2026-27, over 12% of spending, and the city's two CalPERS plans were $36.6 million short at June 30, 2025. Will the council consider paying it down faster?
- Most of the city's $39.7 million in bond and loan debt is owed by the water and wastewater funds, and the budget says both are challenged to sustain operations with current fees. When will the council see the rate studies?
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