How Laguna Beach is run
Who runs Laguna Beach, 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 Laguna Beach's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Laguna Beach
The five-member council, elected at large, sets policy and adopts the budget. It appoints the city manager, who runs day-to-day operations and directs all city departments, and the city attorney. The city clerk and city treasurer are elected separately.
What they are paid
- $30,600 a year paid into a 457(b) deferred compensation plan
- $1,000 a month housing stipend, $500 a month car allowance and $80 a month phone stipend
- Six months' salary as severance if fired without cause
- Term life insurance equal to one year's salary
- Group health insurance: $81,600 budgeted for the council in FY2026-27
Laguna Beach city staff
358 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police 107, Fire 64. FY2026-27. City of Laguna Beach · May 12, 2026
The FY2026-27 salary schedules, adopted by council resolution, list the pay range of every city job title. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Laguna Beach 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
Unassigned general fund balance: $-16,251 (2025-06-30). That means every dollar the general fund has saved is set aside in a named reserve or category, not that it has no savings. City of Laguna Beach · Mar 30, 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 (proposed).
Comes from
- Property taxes (including property tax in lieu of vehicle license fees)$59.1M · 58%
- Other taxes (hotel tax, sales tax, franchise fees, business license tax)$20.4M · 20%
- Charges for services (including ambulance fees and the tourism marketing district)$10.9M · 11%
- Interest and rents$3.9M · 4%
- Licenses and permits$3.8M · 4%
- Transfer from the capital improvement fund$1.4M · 1%
- Other (state and federal aid, fines, reimbursements)$2.3M · 2%
Goes to (FY2026-27 (proposed))
- Police$26.6M · 26%
- Fire and ambulance$22.1M · 22%
- Public works and utilities$15M · 15%
- City manager's office (including IT and cultural arts)$10.5M · 10%
- Community development$10.4M · 10%
- Administrative services (finance and human resources)$5M · 5%
- Marine safety (lifeguards)$4.9M · 5%
- Other (transit and community services, city attorney, clerk, treasurer, council)$6.6M · 7%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Almost all of the bill is the 1% base levy, which the county splits among the county, the city, schools and other agencies. The rest pays Laguna Beach Unified school bonds and the Metropolitan Water District. The county's rate book does not show the city's slice of the 1% levy.
0¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Laguna Beach
- 1% base levy (shared by the county, the city, schools and other agencies)1 · 98%
- Laguna Beach Unified School District bonds0.00885 · <1%
- Metropolitan Water District0.007 · <1%
- Total (% of assessed value)1.01585
FY2025-26 rates for a Laguna Beach home (Orange County tax rate area 05-001). County of Orange Auditor-Controller · Sep 1, 2025
Who provides your services
Not everything in Laguna Beach is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityLaguna Beach Police DepartmentCity of Laguna Beach · May 12, 2026
- FireThe cityLaguna Beach Fire DepartmentFour fire stations in the city.City of Laguna Beach · May 12, 2026
- AmbulanceThe cityLaguna Beach Fire DepartmentTwo city ambulances are staffed daily.City of Laguna Beach · May 12, 2026
- LifeguardsThe cityLaguna Beach Marine Safety DepartmentCovers 7.5 miles of coastline.City of Laguna Beach · May 12, 2026
- Sewer collectionThe cityCity of Laguna Beach Public Works (Wastewater Division)City of Laguna Beach · May 12, 2026
- Sewage treatmentAnother agencySouth Orange County Wastewater Authority (SOCWA)The city is one of SOCWA's ten member agencies.City of Laguna Beach · Mar 30, 2026
- Trash and recyclingContractorCR&R (city franchise)City of Laguna Beach · May 12, 2026
- SchoolsSeparate districtLaguna Beach Unified School DistrictCity of Laguna Beach · May 12, 2026
- Transit (trolley and Laguna Local)The cityCity of Laguna BeachLAZ Parking provides the trolley drivers under contract.City of Laguna Beach · May 12, 2026
- StreetsThe cityCity of Laguna Beach Public Works (Street Maintenance)City of Laguna Beach · May 12, 2026
- Animal services and shelterThe cityLaguna Beach Police Department (Animal Services)Its officers also serve Laguna Woods.City of Laguna Beach · May 12, 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 | CudahyCA | Laguna BeachCA | American CanyonCA | ImperialCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 22,234 | 22,440 | 22,619 | 22,984 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $245,000 | $337,094 | $303,000 | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | $14,798 | Not confirmed | $11,400 | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $657 | $4,503 | $1,511 | $820 |
| Debt per resident | $229 | $1,102 | $447 | $1,195 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $195 | $3,721 | $464 | $267 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | — | 15.9 | 5.4 | 7.0 |
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). Cudahy and American Canyon and Imperial pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Laguna Beach publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: City manager's contract findable online City of Laguna Beach · Apr 9, 2024
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes online City of Laguna Beach
- Partly: Council pay stated in a public documentThe budget lists $51,900 in part-time salaries for the five council members but does not state each member's pay. City of Laguna Beach · May 12, 2026
- Yes: Employee pay published City of Laguna Beach · Jun 18, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The FY2026-27 general fund is balanced with a $2.3 million transfer from the capital improvement fund. How will capital projects such as fire station replacements be paid for if these transfers continue?
- The city's four CalPERS plans were $83.5 million short of full funding at June 30, 2025, and the budget says pension costs peak through about 2028-29. Which spending or revenue changes will cover the higher payments?
- An August 2024 amendment to the city manager's contract added a home loan from the city. How is that loan reported to the council each year?
The fiscal year starts July 1. The council set its priorities at a strategy session on January 30, 2026, staff presented the proposed budget at a public workshop on May 12, 2026, a budget town hall followed on June 16, and the council adopted the FY2026-27 budget on June 23, 2026 by a 5/0 vote. See who is running for council
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