How El Cajon is run
Who runs El Cajon, 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 El Cajon's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Who runs El Cajon
A city manager appointed by the council runs the city day to day and appoints the department directors. The council of five, a mayor elected citywide and four members elected by district, passes ordinances, adopts the budget and hires the city manager and city attorney.
What they are paid
- City deferred compensation contribution raised by $20,000 a year in 2023
- Technology equipment allowance of up to $1,500 a year
- Cafeteria benefit allotment rises January 1, 2027, the same as for the employees he supervises
- Mayor and council salary and benefits budget: $337,843 in FY2026-27 (five members)
El Cajon city staff
420 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police 186, Fire 72. FY2026-27. Funded full-time-equivalent positions in the adopted budget, all funds. Part-time positions are not counted. City of El Cajon · Jun 24, 2026
The adopted budget includes the city's full compensation plan with the hourly pay range of every job title. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is El Cajon 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 budget spends about $2.2 million more than the general fund takes in, drawn from carryover reserves, after cuts in every department. The city's five-year plan projects general fund spending above revenue each year through FY2028-29 and small surpluses from FY2029-30. City of El Cajon · Jun 24, 2026
Savings
Unassigned general fund balance: $34.9M (2025-06-30). City of El Cajon · 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
- Sales tax$33.3M · 31%
- Property tax in lieu of vehicle license fees$14.4M · 14%
- Prop J half-cent sales tax$13.4M · 13%
- Property tax$12.9M · 12%
- Franchise fees$7.2M · 7%
- Charges for services$6.7M · 6%
- Use of money and property$5.1M · 5%
- Other (hotel and other taxes, former redevelopment property tax, permits and fees, other revenue)$11.3M · 11%
- From carryover reserves$2.2M · 2%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$53.3M · 50%
- Fire$24.5M · 23%
- General government (council, manager, clerk, attorney, finance, HR, economic development)$10.2M · 10%
- Parks and recreation$7.2M · 7%
- Public works$5M · 5%
- Community development$3.1M · 3%
- Engineering$2.8M · 3%
- Transfer to the Magnolia Performing Arts Center$500,000 · 0%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
The city's part is its share of the 1% base levy, about 9.5 cents of each property-tax dollar in this area. Tax rate area 03001 is the city's largest. Homes in the La Mesa-Spring Valley or Santee school districts pay different rates.
10¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of El Cajon
- County, schools, state school fund (ERAF) and other agencies (share of the 1% levy)0.88826 · 76%
- City of El Cajon (share of the 1% levy)0.11174 · 10%
- Grossmont Union High School District bonds0.06293 · 5%
- Cajon Valley Union School District bonds0.04374 · 4%
- Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District bonds0.03752 · 3%
- Grossmont Healthcare District bonds0.01989 · 2%
- Metropolitan Water District debt0.007 · <1%
- Total (% of assessed value)1.17108
FY2025-26 rates for an El Cajon home in tax rate area 03001 (San Diego County). San Diego County Auditor and Controller
Who provides your services
Not everything in El Cajon is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityEl Cajon Police DepartmentCity of El Cajon · Dec 15, 2025
- FireThe cityEl Cajon Fire DepartmentShares management with La Mesa and Lemon Grove through the Heartland Fire & Rescue JPACity of El Cajon · Jun 24, 2026
- Paramedic responseThe cityEl Cajon Fire DepartmentFirefighter/paramedics staff advanced life support engines, a truck and a squadCity of El Cajon · Jun 24, 2026
- SewerThe cityCity of El Cajon (wastewater fund)City of El Cajon · Jun 24, 2026
- LibraryThe countySan Diego County LibrarySan Diego County Auditor and Controller
- Animal shelterContractorSan Diego Humane Society (city contract)City of El Cajon · Jun 24, 2026
- Parks and streetsThe cityCity of El CajonCity of El Cajon · Dec 15, 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 | San MateoCA | El CajonCA | Jurupa ValleyCA | InglewoodCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 104,020 | 104,932 | 105,349 | 105,986 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $380,120 | $341,260 | $290,082 | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | $14,400 | $28,032 | $7,200 | $60,660 |
| General fund per resident | $1,833 | $1,016 | $681 | $2,635 |
| Debt per resident | $7,373 | $1,271 | $89 | $2,513 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $2,644 | $770 | $0 | $2,165 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 6.1 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 7.1 |
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). San Mateo and Jurupa Valley and Inglewood pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What El Cajon publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Partly: City manager's contract findable online City of El Cajon · Jun 23, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes online City of El Cajon
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentA July 14, 2026 staff report states monthly pay of $3,380 for the mayor and $2,336 for council members. City of El Cajon · Jul 14, 2026
- Yes: Employee pay published City of El Cajon · Jun 24, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The FY2026-27 budget draws about $2.2 million from carryover reserves, and the five-year plan shows spending above revenue through FY2028-29. Which steps would close that gap?
- The city's two CalPERS plans were $80.8 million short of full funding at June 30, 2025, even after the 2021 pension obligation bonds. How does the city track whether those bonds are saving money?
- Police ($53.3 million) and fire ($24.5 million) take most of the $106.6 million general fund budget, and the council cut fire by $800,000 when it adopted the budget. Which fire services change as a result?
The fiscal year starts July 1. The city manager presented the preliminary budget on June 9, 2026, and the council held a public hearing and adopted the FY2026-27 budget on June 23, 2026 by a 4-1 vote. The five-year business plan is updated each fall. See who is running for council
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