How Hawthorne is run
Who runs Hawthorne, 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 Hawthorne's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Who runs Hawthorne
A city manager hired by the council runs the city day to day. The five-member council, including the mayor, sets policy and adopts the budget. The council also appoints the city attorney and the police chief directly.
What they are paid
- City puts $1,500 a month into his 457(b) retirement plan and matches up to $400 a month more
- Severance of up to 12 months' salary
- Longevity pay of 5% from Oct. 12, 2026, plus 1% for each later year
- A 10% raise after any yearly review in which a council majority approves one
- Contract runs to Dec. 12, 2030
Hawthorne city staff
421 full-time-equivalent positions. FY2025. City of Hawthorne · Jan 16, 2026
The council adopts salary schedules by resolution, posted with meeting agendas. We did not pull pay bands from the State Controller's database. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Hawthorne 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 is balanced: $117.3 million in general fund revenue against $117.0 million in spending, a $242,232 surplus. A fiscal study for the city projects a structural deficit starting in FY2035-36 without new revenue. The council put a hotel tax increase from 12% to 17% on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot, projected to raise about $3.1 million a year. City of Hawthorne · Jun 23, 2026
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $115M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: Keep general fund cash reserves of at least three months of average operating spending (the year's budgeted operating spending divided by 4). For FY2026-27 that is $29.2 million. City of Hawthorne · Jan 16, 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
- Sales tax (state share plus the city's add-on tax)$38.9M · 33%
- Property tax in lieu of vehicle license fees (state)$15.8M · 13%
- Property taxes$10.4M · 9%
- Business license tax$9M · 8%
- Utility users tax$9M · 8%
- Hotel tax$6.7M · 6%
- Service charges (incl. police overtime repaid by stadium events)$5.2M · 4%
- Trash franchise fees$4.7M · 4%
- Other (franchises, cannabis tax, interest, fines, permits, transit police funds and other)$17.5M · 15%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$53.1M · 45%
- Fire (Los Angeles County contract)$17M · 15%
- Non-departmental (bond payments, sales tax rebates, retiree health)$13.2M · 11%
- Community services and parks$6.9M · 6%
- Information technology$5.4M · 5%
- Measure HH (911 dispatch, police gang unit, school officer)$4.6M · 4%
- Public works$4.1M · 4%
- Other (planning, building, city attorney, finance, human resources, business license, city manager, clerk, council and treasurer)$12.5M · 11%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Hawthorne is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- SewerThe cityCity of Hawthorne Sewer and Storm Drain FundCity of Hawthorne · Jan 16, 2026
- LibraryThe countyLA County LibraryCity of Hawthorne · Jan 16, 2026
- AirportThe cityHawthorne Municipal Airport (city-owned)City of Hawthorne · Jan 16, 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 | San RamonCA | Santa BarbaraCA | HawthorneCA | LivermoreCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 84,220 | 85,083 | 85,515 | 86,118 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $366,233 | $353,577 | $323,400 | $392,895 |
| Council member pay | $13,031 | $66,416 | Not confirmed | $13,482 |
| General fund per resident | $1,021 | $2,609 | $1,368 | $1,843 |
| Debt per resident | $603 | $3,020 | $1,789 | $991 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $557 | $4,638 | $203 | $1,832 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 3.3 | 13.6 | 4.9 | 5.9 |
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 Ramon and Livermore pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Hawthorne publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineThe FY2026-27 budget presentation and budget summary are attached to the June 9, 2026 adoption item in the council agenda packet. City of Hawthorne · Jun 9, 2026
- Yes: City manager's contract findable onlineThe second amendment to the city manager's contract, with his $323,400 base salary, is in the March 11, 2025 agenda packet. City of Hawthorne · Mar 11, 2025
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member online City of Hawthorne
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes online City of Hawthorne
- Partly: Council pay stated in a public document City of Hawthorne · Mar 26, 2024
- Yes: Employee pay published City of Hawthorne · Feb 10, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The FY2026-27 general fund plans a $242,232 surplus, but a city study projects a structural deficit from FY2035-36. If the hotel tax increase fails on Nov. 3, 2026, what will the council change?
- The general fund held $114.6 million unassigned on June 30, 2025, against a cash reserve rule of $29.2 million for FY2026-27. What does the council plan to do with the balance above the rule?
- Retiree health benefits carried a $99.9 million liability on June 30, 2025, on top of $105.6 million in pension obligation bonds. How much will the city set aside for retiree health each year?
- Police take $53.1 million and the county fire contract $17.0 million of the $117.0 million FY2026-27 general fund budget. How will the city cover future fire contract increases?
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