How Malibu is run
Who runs Malibu, 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 Malibu's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Malibu
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
- City pays 6% of his salary into a 401(a) retirement plan
- City-paid health, dental, vision and life insurance ($34,363 health insurance budgeted for the council in FY2026-27)
- $5,000 travel and training budget for the mayor and $3,750 for each other council member
Malibu city staff
121 full-time-equivalent positions. FY2026-27. City of Malibu · Jun 22, 2026
The budget includes a salary range for every job title (Resolution No. 26-46). We found no city list of individual employee pay. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Malibu 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 budget funds day-to-day operations from expected revenue and pays one-time capital costs from general fund reserves while tax revenue recovers. General fund revenue of $65.2 million and spending of $72.0 million leave a projected unassigned balance of $41.9 million at the end of FY2026-27. We found no multi-year forecast in the budget. City of Malibu · Jun 22, 2026
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $66.4M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: The city's goal is unassigned general fund reserves of at least 50% of general fund operating expenses. The FY2026-27 budget estimates the unassigned balance at $42,069,737 on July 1, 2026. The city meets this target. City of Malibu · Feb 12, 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
- Property taxes$21.4M · 33%
- Sales and use tax$8.9M · 14%
- Hotel and short-term rental tax (TOT)$7M · 11%
- Licenses and permits$6M · 9%
- Charges for services (plan check and other fees)$5.6M · 9%
- Fines (parking citations and speed cameras)$4.6M · 7%
- Utility users tax$3M · 5%
- Other (interest, state and FEMA aid, franchise fees, transfer tax, parking tax, other)$8.6M · 13%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Public safety (Sheriff contract, code enforcement)$18.1M · 28%
- Management and administration (incl. $3.29M debt payments)$15.7M · 24%
- Community development (planning, building, wastewater)$11.4M · 17%
- Public works$9.4M · 14%
- Fire recovery and storm response (mostly Palisades Fire)$5.2M · 8%
- Community services (parks and recreation)$4.6M · 7%
- Other (city council and city clerk)$1.5M · 2%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Every property pays the 1% base levy, split among local agencies, plus voter-approved rates for school and college bonds and the water district. The city gets about 7 cents of each base-levy dollar.
6¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Malibu
- Other local agencies (rest of the 1% base levy)0.92956 · 81%
- City of Malibu0.07044 · 6%
- Santa Monica Community College District bonds0.07031 · 6%
- Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District bonds0.06585 · 6%
- Metropolitan Water District0.007 · <1%
- Total (percent of assessed value)1.14316
FY2024-25 rates for a property in Malibu (Los Angeles County). City of Malibu · Feb 12, 2026
Who provides your services
Not everything in Malibu is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceContractorLos Angeles County Sheriff's DepartmentCity of Malibu
- Traffic enforcement on Pacific Coast HighwayContractorCalifornia Highway PatrolCity of Malibu
- Fire, paramedics and fire inspectionsThe countyLos Angeles County Fire DepartmentCity of Malibu
- Animal controlThe countyLos Angeles County Department of Animal Care and ControlCity of Malibu
- WaterSeparate districtLos Angeles County Waterworks District 29Los Angeles County Public Works
- Trash and recycling (west Malibu)Private companyWaste Management (WM)City of Malibu
- StreetsThe cityCity of Malibu Public Works45 centerline miles of city-owned streets.City of Malibu
- ParksThe cityCity of Malibu Community ServicesCity of Malibu
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 | MalibuCA | Shasta LakeCA | FarmersvilleCA | PlacervilleCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 9,637 | 10,195 | 10,338 | 10,428 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $310,000 | $255,981 | Not confirmed | $199,764 |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | $11,400 | Not confirmed | $4,236 |
| General fund per resident | $6,843 | $1,136 | $765 | $1,069 |
| Debt per resident | $6,405 | $2,672 | $1,489 | $3,595 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $958 | $271 | $155 | $2,373 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 12.6 | — | 4.6 | 7.5 |
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). Malibu and Shasta Lake and Placerville pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Malibu publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Partly: Adopted budget posted online City of Malibu
- Yes: City manager's contract findable online City of Malibu · Dec 17, 2025
- No: Council pay stated in a public documentThe budget shows only a $33,941 total for council part-time salaries. We found no posted ordinance stating the monthly rate. City of Malibu · Jun 22, 2026
- Partly: Employee pay published City of Malibu · Jun 22, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The unassigned general fund balance was $66,396,277 on June 30, 2025, and the budget estimates $42,069,737 on July 1, 2026. How much of the drop will FEMA and CalOES repay?
- The FY2026-27 general fund plans $72.0 million of spending against $65.2 million of revenue. When does the council expect revenue to cover capital projects again?
- Public safety costs $18,142,089 of the $65,948,562 general fund department budget in FY2026-27. How does the council judge the Sheriff contract and the new speed cameras?
- Hotel and short-term rental taxes are budgeted at $7.0 million in FY2026-27. How will the city track whether visitors return as the city rebuilds?
The fiscal year starts July 1. The council held a budget workshop on April 15, 2026, heard the proposed budget on May 26, 2026, and held the final hearing on June 22, 2026, when Resolution No. 26-44 adopting the FY2026-27 budget was on the agenda. See who is running for council
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