How Chula Vista is run
Who runs Chula Vista, 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 Chula Vista's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Who runs Chula Vista
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
- Severance if fired without cause: base pay for the rest of the contract term plus 12 months of health coverage
- City pays $35,000 a year into her 401(a) retirement plan
- Car allowance of $1,000 a month and a $1,200 yearly phone stipend
- 200 hours of annual leave and 96 hours of management leave a year
- Contract runs to September 30, 2028, then renews yearly unless the council gives notice
- Mayor may take a car allowance of up to $1,000 a month; council members up to $550
- Cell phone and technology allowance of up to $60 a month
- Cafeteria health benefit plan at the level set for city executives
- $50 stipend per Housing Authority meeting, up to four a month
Chula Vista city staff
1,331 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police (general fund) 317, Fire (general fund) 166, Measure A sales tax fund (police and fire) 155. FY2026-27. Budgeted positions in all funds: 907.75 in the general fund and 423.0 in other funds. City of Chula Vista · May 19, 2026
The city posts a compensation schedule with the hourly and two-week pay range for every job title, approved by the council. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Chula Vista 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. The city's 10-year forecast expects spending to grow faster than revenue from FY2026-27 through FY2030-31, with yearly shortfalls of $5.3 million to $2.2 million, and small surpluses from FY2031-32 through FY2035-36. City of Chula Vista · Dec 22, 2025
Savings
Unassigned general fund balance: $40.1M (2025-06-30). City of Chula Vista · Dec 22, 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 taxes$58.7M · 18%
- Sales tax$52.2M · 16%
- Property tax in lieu of vehicle license fees$36.1M · 11%
- Measure A half-cent sales tax (public safety)$31.3M · 10%
- Measure P half-cent sales tax (infrastructure)$31.3M · 10%
- Hotel tax (transient occupancy tax)$19.2M · 6%
- Transfers from other funds$19.1M · 6%
- Franchise fees$16M · 5%
- Other (charges for services, reimbursements from other funds, interest, utility users tax, permits, other)$54.3M · 17%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Non-departmental (transfers to debt service funds and reserves, insurance, interest)$110M · 35%
- Police$68M · 21%
- Fire$45.8M · 14%
- Public works$29.7M · 9%
- Engineering and capital projects$12.8M · 4%
- Parks and recreation$7.3M · 2%
- Finance$6.3M · 2%
- Other (information technology, library, HR, animal services, city attorney, administration, development services, clerk, council, economic development)$37.9M · 12%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
The city's part is its share of the 1% base levy, about 12 cents of each property-tax dollar in this area. Tax rate area 01001 is the area the city's audited report uses. Some parts of the city have slightly different rates.
12¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Chula Vista
- County, schools, state school fund (ERAF) and other agencies (share of the 1% levy)0.85625768 · 72%
- City of Chula Vista (share of the 1% levy)0.14374232 · 12%
- Sweetwater Union High School District bonds0.07798 · 7%
- Chula Vista Elementary School District bonds0.05714 · 5%
- Southwestern Community College District bonds0.04536 · 4%
- Metropolitan Water District debt0.007 · <1%
- Total (% of assessed value)1.18748
FY2025-26 rates for a Chula Vista home in tax rate area 01001 (San Diego County). San Diego County Auditor and Controller
See what a Chula Vista home costs each year, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Chula Vista is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityChula Vista Police DepartmentCity of Chula Vista · Dec 22, 2025
- FireThe cityChula Vista Fire DepartmentCity of Chula Vista · Dec 22, 2025
- AmbulanceThe cityChula Vista Fire Department Ambulance Transport SystemAlso serves Imperial Beach and the Bonita Sunnyside fire districtCity of Chula Vista · May 19, 2026
- Police dispatchThe cityChula Vista Police Communications CenterCity of Chula Vista · May 19, 2026
- Water (west and central)Another agencySweetwater AuthoritySweetwater Authority
- Water (east)Separate districtOtay Water DistrictOtay Water District
- Trash and recyclingContractorRepublic ServicesRepublic Services
- LibraryThe cityCity of Chula Vista librariesCity of Chula Vista · Dec 22, 2025
- Parks and streetsThe cityCity of Chula VistaCity of Chula Vista · Dec 22, 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 | Chula VistaCA | Santa AnaCA | IrvineCA | RiversideCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 282,999 | 312,808 | 317,744 | 321,884 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $355,450 | $340,200 | $434,242 | $405,696 |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | $12,000 | $10,560 | $45,732 |
| General fund per resident | $1,124 | $1,391 | $982 | $1,191 |
| Debt per resident | $1,490 | $1,677 | $1,048 | $5,627 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $137 | $1,118 | $533 | $1,209 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 4.7 | 4.6 | 3.5 | 8.5 |
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). Santa Ana and Irvine pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Chula Vista publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineThe finance budget page posts proposed and adopted budgets, including the FY2026-27 adopted budget. City of Chula Vista
- Yes: City manager's contract findable online City of Chula Vista · Jul 22, 2025
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineMeeting minutes list each member's vote by name, e.g. the 5-0 vote adopting the FY2026-27 budget on May 19, 2026. City of Chula Vista · May 19, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes online City of Chula Vista · May 19, 2026
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe city's compensation schedule lists the mayor at $6,212.30 and council members at $2,484.92 every two weeks. City of Chula Vista · Sep 22, 2026
- Yes: Employee pay published City of Chula Vista · Sep 22, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The city's 10-year forecast shows general fund shortfalls of $5.3 million to $2.2 million a year from FY2026-27 through FY2030-31. Which steps will close those gaps in future budgets?
- Hotel tax revenue is budgeted at $19.2 million for FY2026-27. How much of it depends on the Gaylord Pacific resort and convention center, and how would a weaker travel year change the budget?
- Non-departmental spending, mostly transfers to debt service funds and reserves, is $110.2 million of the $318.1 million general fund budget. How much of it goes to pension obligation bond payments?
- The city's CalPERS plans were about 97% funded at June 30, 2025, but $316.5 million in pension obligation bonds remained. How does the city track whether those bonds are saving money?
The fiscal year starts July 1. Staff presented the 10-year general fund forecast on Nov. 18, 2025. The city manager's proposed budget went to the council on April 30, 2026; the council accepted it on May 5 and adopted the FY2026-27 budget 5-0 after a public hearing on May 19, 2026. See who is running for council
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