How Cathedral City is run
Who runs Cathedral City, 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 Cathedral City's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Who runs Cathedral City
A City Manager hired by the council runs the city's day-to-day operations and appoints senior managers. The five council members are elected by district to four-year terms, and the council picks one of them as mayor for a one-year rotating term. The council passes ordinances, adopts the budget and also hires the City Attorney.
What they are paid
- Up to six months' base salary as severance, plus health coverage for those months, if let go without cause
- CalPERS pension under the PEPRA 2% at 62 formula
- City pays $28,000 a year into a 401(a) retirement account, plus a $65 per pay period match to his 457 plan
- Educational stipend equal to 2.5% of base salary
- $600 a month car allowance and a $55 a month phone stipend
- Five-year term from Feb. 12, 2026; serves at the pleasure of the council
Cathedral City city staff
231 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police 83, Fire and ambulance 62. FY2026-27. Adopted budgeted positions, including the five council members and the elected city treasurer. City of Cathedral City · May 28, 2025
The city adopts a citywide salary schedule with pay ranges for every job title. 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 Cathedral City 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 city's own five-year forecast shows general fund deficits each year: $4.5M in FY2026-27, then $2.0M, $1.3M and $0.5M through FY2029-30. It warns reserves may fall below the 33% minimum starting in FY2027-28. The forecast assumes revenue grows 4% a year and spending 3%. City of Cathedral City · May 28, 2025
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $41M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: Hold available general fund reserves of at least 33% of budgeted spending and transfers out, with a goal of 50%, for cash flow, economic uncertainties and budget needs. The budget puts the 33% minimum at $25.8 million for FY2025-26. The city meets this target. City of Cathedral City · Nov 25, 2025
Bar: unassigned savings of $41M. Line: the amount the city's target calls for.
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 taxes (including vehicle license fee backfill)$15.9M · 20%
- Sales tax$13.4M · 17%
- Transactions and use tax (Measures H and B)$10M · 13%
- Charges for services (paramedic, inspection and plan check fees)$7.7M · 10%
- Utility users' tax$4.8M · 6%
- Transient occupancy (hotel) tax$4.7M · 6%
- Franchise fees$3.5M · 4%
- Licenses and permits$3.4M · 4%
- Other (cannabis tax, state aid, interest, transfers in, fines, misc.)$10.1M · 13%
- From reserves (fund balance)$4.5M · 6%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$21.8M · 28%
- Fire and ambulance$18.7M · 24%
- Financial services (finance, risk management, facilities)$11.2M · 14%
- General government (includes $3.2M of transfers to other funds)$7.3M · 9%
- City management (manager, HR, clerk, IT, communications)$7M · 9%
- Public works$5.5M · 7%
- Community and economic development$5.5M · 7%
- Other (elected officials, legal services)$1.2M · 1%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Cathedral City is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityCathedral City Police DepartmentCity of Cathedral City · Nov 25, 2025
- FireThe cityCathedral City Fire & Emergency Medical ServicesCity of Cathedral City · Nov 25, 2025
- EMS / ambulanceThe cityCathedral City Fire & Emergency Medical ServicesCity of Cathedral City · May 28, 2025
- 911 dispatchThe cityCathedral City Police Department Emergency Communications CenterCity of Cathedral City · May 28, 2025
- City streetsThe cityCity of Cathedral City Public WorksCity of Cathedral City · Nov 25, 2025
- LibraryThe countyRiverside County Library System (Cathedral City branch)Riverside County Library System
- Animal controlContractorCounty of Riverside Department of Animal ServicesCity of Cathedral City · May 28, 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 | GlendoraCA | RosemeadCA | Cathedral CityCA | NovatoCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 51,232 | 51,295 | 51,458 | 51,638 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $323,574 | $287,004 | $280,000 | $316,762 |
| Council member pay | $19,200 | $19,200 | $17,964 | $4,800 |
| General fund per resident | $893 | $675 | $1,517 | $1,212 |
| Debt per resident | $1,187 | $0 | $1,370 | $349 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $243 | $204 | $255 | $1,283 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 5.2 | 1.3 | 4.5 | 3.9 |
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). Glendora and Rosemead and Novato pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Cathedral City publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Audited financial report filed on time City of Cathedral City · Nov 25, 2025
- Yes: Adopted budget posted online City of Cathedral City · May 28, 2025
- Yes: City manager's contract findable online City of Cathedral City · Feb 11, 2026
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member online City of Cathedral City · Aug 26, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineThe city's PrimeGov portal posts agendas, packets, minutes, videos and live meetings. City of Cathedral City
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe citywide salary schedule in the July 22, 2026 council packet lists $1,497.01 a month for the mayor and council members. City of Cathedral City · Jul 22, 2026
- Partly: Employee pay published City of Cathedral City · Jul 22, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The city's own forecast shows general fund deficits every year through FY2029-30, with reserves possibly below the 33% minimum from FY2027-28. What will the next two-year budget change?
- The general fund budget for FY2026-27 draws $4.5 million from reserves. Which one-time costs could be postponed if revenue falls short?
- The city sold $28.8 million of pension bonds in 2022, and its CalPERS plans were about 95% funded on June 30, 2025. How will the city keep them near that level?
- Unassigned general fund reserves were $41.0 million on June 30, 2025. How much of that does the council plan to use over the next two years?
The fiscal year starts July 1. The city adopts a two-year budget: the council reviews the budget workbook in study sessions in April and adopts it in May (May 28, 2025 for FY2025-26 and FY2026-27). The finance director briefs the council at mid-year and year end with a five-year forecast. The next two-year budget starts July 1, 2027. See who is running for council
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