How Campbell is run
Who runs Campbell, 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 Campbell's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Campbell
Five council members elected by district set policy and adopt the budget. They appoint a City Manager, who prepares the recommended budget after meeting with each department director, plus the City Attorney and City Clerk.
What they are paid
- Six months' salary if fired while willing and able to work; none if he resigns or for misconduct
- City pays the full medical premium for him and his family
- Extra $5,000 a year into his 457 deferred compensation plan
- Car allowance of $225 a month and $40 a month for a cell phone
Campbell city staff
184 full-time-equivalent positions. FY2026-27. Permanent and limited-term positions. Counting temporary staff, the budget lists 219.44 positions. The budget freezes hiring for 14 vacant positions. City of Campbell · Jul 1, 2026
The city posts a salary schedule with pay ranges for every job class. We did not pull pay bands from the State Controller's database. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Campbell 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 balances by drawing $2.69M from reserves, a hiring freeze on 14 positions and little temporary staff. The city's seven-year forecast shows deficits of $4.0M to $5.1M a year from FY2027-28 to FY2032-33, and general fund reserves falling from 21.3% of spending in FY2026-27 to 1.5% in FY2029-30, absent cuts or new revenue. Measure K half-cent sales tax money, about $7M a year, sits in escrow until a lawsuit ends. City of Campbell · Jun 16, 2026
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $18M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: Council policy sets an Economic Fluctuations reserve of two months (16.67%) of general fund spending, an Emergency reserve of 10% of revenues and a $1 million Operating reserve. At June 30, 2025 the targets totaled $22.3M and the reserves held $19.7M; the city says the economic fluctuation and emergency reserves are below target. The city is below this target. City of Campbell · Dec 31, 2025
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$25.6M · 35%
- Sales and use tax$16.1M · 22%
- Licenses and permits$8M · 11%
- Other taxes (hotel tax, franchise fees and others)$7.1M · 10%
- Charges for services$6.5M · 9%
- From reserves and capital set-asides (fund balance)$4.3M · 6%
- Leases and rentals$3.3M · 4%
- Other (state aid, interest, fines, transfers in, misc.)$3.2M · 4%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$25.1M · 34%
- Fire services (county fire contract)$12.1M · 16%
- Non-departmental (transfers, debt, insurance, other)$8.2M · 11%
- Public works$7.7M · 10%
- Recreation and community services$7.6M · 10%
- Community development$5.1M · 7%
- City Manager's office$3.3M · 4%
- Other (finance, clerk, legal, council)$4.9M · 7%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Besides its share of the 1% base levy, which this table does not break out, the city collects 0.0170 for its own voter-approved bonds. School bond rates depend on which district a home is in. The city's table prints the FY2024-25 total as 0.2014; its parts add to 1.2014.
1¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Campbell
- 1% base levy (shared by the county, the city, schools and other agencies)1 · 83%
- Elementary or unified school district bonds0.0672 · 6%
- Santa Clara County retirement levy0.0388 · 3%
- High school district bonds0.0362 · 3%
- West Valley-Mission Community College District0.0259 · 2%
- City of Campbell bonds0.017 · 1%
- County hospital and housing bonds0.0098 · <1%
- Santa Clara Valley Water District (State Water Project)0.0041 · <1%
- Library retirement levy0.0024 · <1%
- Total (% of assessed value)1.2014
FY2024-25 rates for a Campbell home (Santa Clara County). City of Campbell · Dec 31, 2025
See what a Campbell house pays, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Campbell is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityCampbell Police DepartmentCity of Campbell · Dec 31, 2025
- Fire and emergency medical responseContractorSanta Clara County Fire DepartmentThe city pays by contract; the FY2026-27 payment rose $377,400 (3.23%).City of Campbell · Jul 1, 2026
- WaterPrivate companySan Jose Water CompanyCity of Campbell · Jul 30, 2024
- SewerSeparate districtWest Valley Sanitation DistrictCity of Campbell
- Trash and recyclingPrivate companyWest Valley Collection and Recycling, LLCContract managed by the West Valley Solid Waste Management Authority, a joint powers authority of four West Valley cities.City of Campbell
- Gas and electricityPrivate companyPacific Gas & ElectricCity of Campbell · Jul 30, 2024
- Storm drainsThe cityCity of CampbellCity of Campbell · Jul 30, 2024
- StreetsThe cityCity of CampbellCity of Campbell · Dec 31, 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 | LompocCA | DanvilleCA | CampbellCA | Palm SpringsCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 43,073 | 43,190 | 43,195 | 43,893 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $279,804 | $305,000 | $358,883 | $325,000 |
| Council member pay | Not current (2023) | $16,644 | $15,300 | $41,604 |
| General fund per resident | $1,378 | $788 | $1,713 | $4,004 |
| Debt per resident | $1,205 | $81 | $1,175 | $3,386 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $2,450 | $0 | $1,677 | $3,906 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 9.1 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 15.0 |
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). Danville and Campbell pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Campbell publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineThe adopted FY2027 budget book and the seven-year forecast are posted on the city's budget page. City of Campbell
- Yes: City manager's contract findable onlineThe Third Amended Agreement for City Manager Services and Resolution 13044 (2023) are posted in the city's document center. City of Campbell · Sep 5, 2023
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineMinutes and resolutions list each member's roll call vote, e.g. the 5-0 vote adopting the FY2027 budget. City of Campbell · Sep 16, 2025
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineCouncil minutes are posted in the Agenda Center, and minutes state meetings are recorded and viewable there. City of Campbell · Sep 16, 2025
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe city salary schedule lists Councilmember pay of $1,275 a month, $15,300 a year. City of Campbell · Feb 2, 2026
- Yes: Employee pay published City of Campbell · Feb 2, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The FY2026-27 budget draws $2.69M from reserves, and the forecast shows deficits of $4.0M to $5.1M a year after that, with reserves falling to 1.5% of spending by FY2029-30. Which cuts or new revenues will the council consider first?
- Measure K sales tax money, about $7M a year, sits in escrow until a lawsuit ends. How would the budget change if the city loses the case?
- The city's two CalPERS plans were $72.4M short at June 30, 2025, and the yearly payment toward that shortfall rises about $630,000 in FY2026-27. What is the plan to pay it down?
- Fire services by contract with Santa Clara County Fire cost $12.1M in FY2026-27, and the contract runs to June 30, 2028. What will the council weigh when it is renewed?
The fiscal year starts July 1. The council set its priorities on March 5 and March 24, 2026, held a budget study session May 5, received the budget June 2, and adopted it June 16, 2026 on a 5-0 vote. See who is running for council
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