How Greenfield is run
Who runs Greenfield, 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 Greenfield's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Greenfield
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
- Firing the city manager takes a 4/5 council vote
Greenfield city staff
121 full-time-equivalent positions. FY2026-27. City of Greenfield · Jun 9, 2026
The 121 budgeted positions include the mayor and four council members and several part-time jobs. The city posts salary schedules for non-represented staff and its union contracts. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Greenfield 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: $16.8M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: No written reserve target found in the FY2026-27 budget or the FY2025 audit. The audit says the unassigned balance equals 149% of general fund spending. City of Greenfield · Mar 4, 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
- Measures V, X and W local sales taxes (fund 220)$3.2M · 15%
- Vehicle license fee (VLF) money from the state$2.8M · 13%
- Cannabis business tax$2.5M · 12%
- Garbage fees$2.3M · 11%
- Sales tax$2M · 9%
- Solid waste surcharge$1.8M · 8%
- Measure C fire parcel tax$941,054 · 4%
- Utility users tax$788,518 · 4%
- Other$4.9M · 23%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police patrol$6.3M · 30%
- Fire$3.2M · 15%
- Garbage disposal contract (utility billing)$2.9M · 14%
- Police administration$1.2M · 6%
- Recreation$1M · 5%
- Community engagement$801,770 · 4%
- Parks$770,338 · 4%
- Building and planning$767,682 · 4%
- Other (streets, finance, city manager, city clerk, council, transfers and more)$4.2M · 20%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Greenfield is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityGreenfield Police DepartmentCity of Greenfield
- WaterThe cityCity of Greenfield Water DivisionCity of Greenfield
- SewerThe cityCity of Greenfield wastewater systemCity of Greenfield
- Trash and recyclingContractorTri-Cities Disposal and Recycling ServiceCity of Greenfield
- StreetsThe cityCity Public Works, Street and Drainage DivisionCity of Greenfield
- Animal controlThe cityGreenfield Police DepartmentCity of Greenfield
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 Greenfield publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineMinutes show the council approved his contract on September 25, 2018. The contract itself was not in the packet or on the city manager page. City of Greenfield · Oct 9, 2018
- Partly: Meeting videos and minutes online City of Greenfield · May 28, 2026
- Partly: Council pay stated in a public document City of Greenfield · Jun 9, 2026
- Yes: Employee pay publishedSalary schedules for non-represented staff and union contracts are posted on the Salaries & Benefits page. City of Greenfield
Questions to ask your council
- The main general fund had $16,806,929 unassigned on June 30, 2025, 149% of its spending. What reserve target should the council adopt?
- CalPERS plans for city workers were $7,328,593 unfunded on June 30, 2025. How will the city pay that down?
The fiscal year starts July 1. The council held a budget workshop on May 28, 2026 and adopted the FY2026-27 budget (Resolution 2026-66) on June 9, 2026. See who is running for council
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