How Claremont is run
Who runs Claremont, 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 Claremont's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Claremont
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 of six months' pay if fired without cause
- $1,000 a month paid into a 457 deferred compensation plan
- $450 a month car allowance
- Four weeks (160 hours) of vacation a year
- Same monthly health insurance contribution as department heads, $1,500 through June 30, 2027
- CalPERS pension; he pays the 8% member contribution
Claremont city staff
169 full-time-equivalent positions, including Public Safety (police) 66, Community Services 44, Community Development 21, Recreation and Human Services 11. FY2026-27. City of Claremont · Jun 9, 2026
The city posts salary schedules for every employee group, its labor agreements and the City Manager's contract and amendments. For other staff pay it links to the State Controller's Government Compensation in California site. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Claremont 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.
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $16.9M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: City policy calls for an Operating and Environmental Emergency Reserve of at least 30% of general fund operating spending and transfers out. That reserve is kept as assigned fund balance, apart from the unassigned balance shown here. The budget message says the reserve held $11.6M, 28% of FY2026-27 spending and transfers, and that the city is adding to it to reach 30%. City of Claremont · Dec 15, 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$15.3M · 37%
- Sales and use tax$9.5M · 23%
- Utility users tax$5.9M · 14%
- Charges for services$2.3M · 6%
- Licenses and permits$2M · 5%
- Hotel tax (transient occupancy)$2M · 5%
- Other (business license tax, franchise fees, fines, grants, interest and other)$4.2M · 10%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Public safety (police)$17.1M · 42%
- General government (citywide costs)$5.3M · 13%
- Community development (planning, building, engineering)$5M · 12%
- Recreation and human services$3.6M · 9%
- Community services (parks, streets, maintenance)$3.1M · 8%
- Transfers out (debt payments, lighting district, alley projects)$2.8M · 7%
- Other (City Manager, administrative and financial services)$4.1M · 10%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Claremont is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityClaremont Police DepartmentCity of Claremont · Jun 9, 2026
- 911 dispatchThe cityClaremont Police Department communications officersCity of Claremont · Jun 9, 2026
- WaterPrivate companyGolden State Water CompanyThe city lost a 2016 court bid to take over the systemCity of Claremont · Dec 15, 2025
- Trash and recyclingThe cityCity of Claremont (Sanitation division)City of Claremont · Jun 9, 2026
- ParksThe cityCity of Claremont (Community Services)City of Claremont · Jun 9, 2026
- Bus serviceAnother agencyFoothill TransitCity of Claremont · Jun 9, 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 | ClaremontCA | MontclairCA | Bell GardensCA | WildomarCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 38,262 | 38,378 | 38,484 | 38,841 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $299,752 | $304,512 | Not confirmed | $281,000 |
| Council member pay | $15,300 | $17,256 | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $1,072 | $1,085 | $1,370 | $529 |
| Debt per resident | $370 | $3,428 | $104 | $29 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $1,341 | $794 | $1,328 | $22 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 4.4 | 5.3 | 4.1 | 1.5 |
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). Wildomar pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Claremont publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineThe city's Budget page links the 2026-28 budget, approved unanimously on June 9, 2026, and past budgets. City of Claremont
- Yes: City manager's contract findable online City of Claremont
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineMinutes name each member's vote, e.g. the 5-0 roll call adopting the 2026-28 budget on June 9, 2026. City of Claremont · Jun 23, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineMinutes appear in later agenda packets and note that meeting video is archived on the city website. City of Claremont · Jun 23, 2026
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public document City of Claremont · Jul 23, 2024
- Yes: Employee pay published City of Claremont
Questions to ask your council
- The emergency reserve held $11.6 million, 28% of FY2026-27 general fund spending and transfers, short of the city's own 30% rule. Unassigned general fund balance was another $16.9 million on June 30, 2025. Why not move more of it into the reserve now?
- The city's two CalPERS plans were $51.3 million short on June 30, 2025, and the safety plan was 71.7% funded. Is $1.0 million of extra payments over two years enough?
- Police take $17.1 million of the $38.2 million general fund operating budget for FY2026-27, and the budget adds two patrol officers. How will future police costs be covered if tax growth slows?
- The City Manager's pay rose 8% to $299,752 in July 2026, and his contract now runs to June 30, 2029 as he approaches retirement. What is the council's plan for choosing his successor?
Help decide what comes next
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