How Culver City is run
Who runs Culver 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 Culver City's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Culver City
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
- Nine months' base salary and benefits as severance if fired without cause
- $600 a month transportation allowance
- City deferred compensation of $12,500 after one year and $17,500 each later year, with satisfactory performance
- Offer of a city home loan of up to 90% of the price, capped at $1.2 million, for a home in Culver City
- Retiree insurance (budgeted at $65,945 for the council in FY2026-27)
- Cell phone allowance (budgeted at $7,800 for the council in FY2026-27)
Culver City city staff
863 full-time-equivalent positions, including Transit (CityBus) 160, Police 158, Fire 91. FY2026-27. City of Culver City · Jun 8, 2026
The city posts a salary schedule with hourly, monthly and yearly pay 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 Culver 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 budget's five-year forecast, updated in May 2026, shows a $4.5 million general fund surplus in FY2026-27 and small deficits of $0.9 million to $2.2 million a year from FY2027-28 through FY2030-31. A year earlier the forecast showed a $26.5 million deficit for FY2026-27. The council declared a fiscal emergency on April 24, 2025, voters approved a 0.25% sales tax in August 2025, and the council ended the emergency on April 14, 2026. City of Culver City · May 11, 2026
Savings
Unassigned general fund balance: $4.3M (2025-06-30). City of Culver City · Mar 27, 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
- Business license tax$31.3M · 15%
- Sales tax$25.6M · 12%
- Local sales tax measures CC, C and CL$23.3M · 11%
- Utility users taxes$20.7M · 10%
- Transfers in (incl. pension trust) and cost recovery from other funds$20.6M · 10%
- Property tax$17.7M · 9%
- Hotel tax (transient occupancy)$13.4M · 6%
- Charges for services$12.7M · 6%
- Other (property transfer tax, fines, interest, permits, state aid, other)$42.7M · 21%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$60.1M · 29%
- General government (council, manager, clerk, attorney, finance, HR, IT, non-departmental)$48.1M · 23%
- Fire and emergency medical services$38.6M · 19%
- Housing and human services$19.6M · 10%
- Public works$18.3M · 9%
- Parks, recreation and community services$13.2M · 6%
- Other: planning and development$7.4M · 4%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Culver City is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityCulver City Police DepartmentCity of Culver City · Mar 27, 2026
- Fire and emergency medical serviceThe cityCulver City Fire DepartmentCity of Culver City · May 11, 2026
- SewerThe cityCity of Culver City Public Works DepartmentCity of Culver City · May 11, 2026
- Trash and recyclingThe cityCity of Culver City Public Works DepartmentCity of Culver City · May 11, 2026
- Bus serviceThe cityCulver CityBus (city Transportation Department)Seven regular routesCity of Culver City · May 11, 2026
- LibraryThe countyLA County Library (Culver City Julian Dixon Library)LA County Library
- ParksThe cityCity of Culver City Parks, Recreation and Community Services DepartmentCity of Culver City · May 11, 2026
- Streets, sidewalks and street lightsThe cityCity of Culver City Public Works DepartmentCity of Culver City · May 11, 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 | CalexicoCA | Culver CityCA | Rancho Palos VerdesCA | LathropCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 39,881 | 40,730 | 40,893 | 40,942 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $220,000 | $370,000 | $282,014 | $320,961 |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | $15,135 | $4,800 | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $623 | $5,042 | $1,008 | $1,082 |
| Debt per resident | $995 | $384 | $141 | $333 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $919 | $7,687 | $388 | $210 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 4.7 | 21.2 | 2.6 | 4.8 |
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). Rancho Palos Verdes and Lathrop pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Culver City publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: City manager's contract findable online City of Culver City · Dec 15, 2025
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineMinutes list each member by name under ayes and noes, e.g. the 4-1 vote adopting the budget on June 8, 2026. City of Culver City · Jun 8, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes online City of Culver City
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe city's salary schedule lists council member pay of $1,261.26 a month. City of Culver City · Jun 8, 2026
- Yes: Employee pay published City of Culver City · Jun 8, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The five-year forecast shows general fund deficits of $0.9 million to $2.2 million a year from FY2027-28 through FY2030-31. How does the council plan to close them?
- In June 2026 the council authorized up to $48 million of lease revenue bonds. How will the yearly lease payments fit in a $205.3 million general fund budget?
The fiscal year starts July 1. The city manager presented the proposed FY2026-27 budget on May 11, 2026, the council discussed it on May 26, and it held the budget hearing and adopted the budget on June 8, 2026. The council is moving toward a two-year budget cycle. See who is running for council
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