How Dixon is run
Who runs Dixon, 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 Dixon's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Dixon
A city manager appointed by the council runs the city day to day and appoints department heads, with council ratification. The council has five members: a mayor elected at large and four members elected by district to four-year terms. It passes ordinances, adopts the budget and also appoints the city attorney. Voters also elect a city treasurer and a city clerk.
What they are paid
- Five-year term with an option to extend two more years
- City matches her deferred compensation contributions up to 10% of base salary
- 25 days of vacation and 120 hours of management leave a year
- Use of a City-provided vehicle and a $95 monthly phone stipend
- Option for home loan assistance under a separate City-approved agreement
- Twelve months of base salary as severance if fired without good cause
Dixon city staff
151 full-time-equivalent positions, including General fund 128, Other funds 24. FY2026-27. City of Dixon · Jun 2, 2026
The budget lists budgeted pay and benefits for each position by title. We found no city list of pay by employee name. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Dixon 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: $22M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: The council's policy sets a general fund operating reserve of at least 25%. City of Dixon · Dec 17, 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
- Sales tax$11.1M · 31%
- Property tax$7.6M · 21%
- Additional 1% local sales tax$5.3M · 15%
- Charges for services, permits and fees$3.4M · 9%
- Motor vehicle in-lieu tax$3M · 8%
- Transfers in$2.2M · 6%
- Franchise fees$995,400 · 3%
- Other$2.1M · 6%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$11M · 30%
- Fire$8.3M · 22%
- Parks maintenance$3.1M · 9%
- Finance$2.2M · 6%
- Insurance$1.6M · 4%
- City Manager$1.5M · 4%
- Community Development$1.5M · 4%
- Other$7.6M · 21%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Every property pays the 1% base levy, which the county splits among local agencies. The city's direct share is about 17 cents per $100. Voter-approved school, college and flood project rates are added on top.
0¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Dixon
- 1% base levy (shared by the city, county, schools and districts)1 · 89%
- Dixon Unified School District bonds0.07648 · 7%
- Solano Community College bonds0.03143 · 3%
- Solano County Flood Water Project0.02 · 2%
- Total ($ per $100 of assessed value)1.12791
FY2024-25 rates for a home in the city of Dixon (Solano County). City of Dixon · Dec 17, 2025
Who provides your services
Not everything in Dixon is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityDixon Police DepartmentCity of Dixon · Dec 17, 2025
- Water (City service area)The cityCity of DixonCity of Dixon · Oct 10, 2026
- SewerThe cityCity of DixonCity of Dixon · Dec 17, 2025
- StreetsThe cityCity of DixonCity of Dixon · Dec 17, 2025
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of DixonCity of Dixon · Dec 17, 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 | AlbanyCA | DixonCA | OrovilleCA | GreenfieldCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 20,564 | 20,567 | 20,664 | 20,918 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $326,934 | $290,000 | $225,312 | $267,093 |
| Council member pay | $11,400 | $6,576 | Not current (2022) | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $1,731 | $1,793 | $1,492 | $1,018 |
| Debt per resident | $787 | $940 | $784 | $304 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $2,122 | $1,375 | $550 | $350 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 5.8 | 7.4 | 6.8 | 5.8 |
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). Oroville pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Dixon publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted online City of Dixon · Oct 10, 2026
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineMinutes list each roll call by name, e.g. the 3-0 vote approving the City Manager's agreement with two members absent. City of Dixon · Jul 7, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineAgendas, minutes and audio/video for council meetings are posted on the city's Granicus page. City of Dixon · Oct 10, 2026
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe adopted budget's City Council payroll summary lists budgeted pay for the mayor and each council member. City of Dixon · Jun 2, 2026
- Partly: Employee pay publishedThe budget's payroll summaries list budgeted pay and benefits for each position by title, but not by employee name. City of Dixon · Jun 2, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The general fund had $22,036,272 unassigned on June 30, 2025. How does the council decide how much of it to keep and how much to spend?
- The city's share of the CalPERS pension shortfall was $28,288,680 in the FY2025 audit. How will the budget absorb rising pension payments?
The fiscal year runs July 1 to June 30. The preliminary FY2026-27 budget went to the council on April 27, 2026, a budget workshop was held May 11, and the budget hearing and adoption were set for June 2. The budget must be adopted by June 30. See who is running for council
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