How Hemet is run
Who runs Hemet, 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 Hemet's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Who runs Hemet
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
- New City Manager Ernie Reyna's agreement runs through Dec. 31, 2031
Hemet city staff
344 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police (sworn and civilian) 137, Fire 55. 2025-06-30. City of Hemet · Sep 16, 2026
The city posts a salary schedule with monthly pay ranges for every job title. We did not pull pay bands from the State Controller's pay database. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Hemet 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
City staff describe a structural budget deficit. The FY2026-27 budget uses about $9.8 million of general fund reserves: $4.1 million to cover the operating deficit plus one-time projects. Staff project the general fund balance, including Measure U, at $41.9 million on June 30, 2027, which would put the reserve at 32%, below the 40% requirement. Liability insurance premiums are budgeted at about $7.0 million. A 1% city sales tax, Measure Q, is on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot. City of Hemet · Jun 23, 2026
Savings
Unassigned general fund balance: $7.5M (2025-06-30). City of Hemet · Sep 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 (including the Prop. 172 public safety share)$17.7M · 18%
- Measure U one-cent sales tax$17M · 18%
- Property taxes$11.7M · 12%
- Vehicle license fee backfill from the state$11.2M · 12%
- Franchise fees (trash, utilities, cable)$6.1M · 6%
- Reimbursements from other city funds$6.3M · 7%
- Licenses and permits$2.6M · 3%
- Investment earnings$2.5M · 3%
- Other (hotel and cannabis taxes, state aid, service charges, rents, fines)$11.6M · 12%
- From reserves (fund balance)$9.6M · 10%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police (including dispatch)$46M · 48%
- Fire and emergency medical services$23.2M · 24%
- Non-departmental (liability insurance, county animal services contract)$7.8M · 8%
- Community development (planning, building, code enforcement)$6.4M · 7%
- Public works (engineering, parks)$3.9M · 4%
- Administrative services (finance, HR, IT)$3.2M · 3%
- Library$2.2M · 2%
- Other (city manager, city clerk, council, treasurer)$3.3M · 3%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
The 1% base levy is split among local agencies using the county's ratios for tax rate area 006-001. Hemet Unified school bonds and Metropolitan Water District debt add 0.127% on top. Homes in other parts of the city can pay slightly different rates.
33¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Hemet
- Hemet Unified School District (share of 1% levy plus school bonds)0.4265 · 38%
- City of Hemet0.37274 · 33%
- Riverside County general fund0.1271 · 11%
- Water districts (Eastern Municipal and Metropolitan Water District debt)0.06805 · 6%
- County flood control0.04158 · 4%
- Riverside County Office of Education0.0364 · 3%
- Mt. San Jacinto College0.0353 · 3%
- Valley-Wide parks, cemetery and conservation districts0.01933 · 2%
- Total (% of assessed value)1.127
FY2024-25 rates for a home in central Hemet (tax rate area 006-001, Riverside County). City of Hemet · Sep 16, 2026
See what a Hemet house pays, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Hemet is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityHemet Police DepartmentCity of Hemet · Sep 16, 2026
- FireThe cityHemet Fire DepartmentFive fire stationsCity of Hemet · Jun 23, 2026
- Emergency medical servicesThe cityHemet Fire DepartmentCity of Hemet · Jun 23, 2026
- 911 dispatchThe cityHemet Police Department dispatch center, shared with FireCity of Hemet · Jun 23, 2026
- Water (central Hemet)The cityCity of Hemet water utilityServes a 5.25 square mile area of the 27.7 square mile cityCity of Hemet
- Water (rest of the city)Separate districtEastern Municipal Water District and Lake Hemet Municipal Water DistrictCity of Hemet
- Sewer linesThe cityCity of Hemet Public WorksCity of Hemet
- Sewage treatmentSeparate districtEastern Municipal Water DistrictCity of Hemet
- Trash and recyclingContractorCR&R Environmental ServicesCity of Hemet
- LibraryThe cityHemet Public LibraryCity of Hemet · Sep 16, 2026
- ParksThe cityCity of Hemet Public WorksCity of Hemet · Sep 16, 2026
- StreetsThe cityCity of Hemet Public WorksCity of Hemet · Sep 16, 2026
- Recreation programs (Simpson Center)ContractorValley-Wide Recreation and Park DistrictCity of Hemet · Sep 16, 2026
- Animal controlContractorRiverside County Department of Animal ServicesCity of Hemet · Jun 23, 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 | WestminsterCA | HemetCA | CarsonCA | IndioCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 90,490 | 91,479 | 91,790 | 92,360 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $319,234 | Not confirmed | $353,496 | $312,000 |
| Council member pay | $10,206 | $22,800 | $89,513 | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $1,080 | $1,051 | $1,701 | $1,408 |
| Debt per resident | $8 | $0 | $2,051 | $2,746 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $1,642 | $1,337 | $214 | $870 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 4.0 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 2.9 |
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). Westminster and Carson pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Hemet publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- No: Audited financial report filed on timeThe FY2024-25 audit report is dated Sept. 16, 2026, more than 14 months after the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025. City of Hemet · Sep 16, 2026
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineThe FY2026-27 budget, adopted June 23, 2026, is posted as a PDF on the city's Financial Information page. City of Hemet · Jun 23, 2026
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineThe online agenda for the Sept. 29, 2026 vote on the new manager's agreement lists the item with no agreement attached. We found no copy elsewhere. City of Hemet · Sep 29, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineMeetings stream live and archived videos are on the city's YouTube channel. Minutes are posted in later council agenda packets on the city's CivicWeb portal. City of Hemet
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe salary schedule approved Aug. 11, 2026 lists council members at $1,900 a month. City of Hemet · Aug 11, 2026
- Partly: Employee pay published City of Hemet · Aug 11, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- Staff project the general fund balance, including Measure U, at $41.9 million on June 30, 2027, putting the reserve at 32% against a 40% requirement. What is the plan to get back to 40%?
- Liability insurance premiums are budgeted at about $7.0 million in FY2026-27. What steps are expected to bring claims costs down?
- The audit for FY2024-25 is dated Sept. 16, 2026. When will the FY2025-26 audit be finished?
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