How Modesto is run
Who runs Modesto, 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 Modesto's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Modesto
A city manager appointed by the council runs the city day to day. The council of seven, including the mayor, sets policy and tax rates, approves budgets and passes ordinances. It appoints the city manager, city attorney, city clerk and city auditor.
What they are paid
- May join the city's health plan at their own expense
- No retirement or pension benefits (city charter)
Modesto city staff
1,448 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police 383, Fire 236. FY2026-27. City of Modesto · Jun 2, 2026
We found no city-posted salary schedule. Pay by named employee is available from Transparent California, compiled from public payroll records. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Modesto 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: $54.1M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: Keep unassigned general fund balance of at least two months of regular operating outflows. Separately, an $18.4 million emergency reserve is held as committed fund balance. The city meets this target. City of Modesto · Dec 8, 2025
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 tax (including vehicle license fee swap)$52.7M · 24%
- Departmental revenues, including fire service contracts with nearby agencies$43.8M · 20%
- Sales tax$38.9M · 18%
- Utility users tax$25.4M · 12%
- Business license tax$18.1M · 8%
- Measure H sales tax used to cover the budget gap$15.2M · 7%
- Franchise fees$6M · 3%
- Other (construction fees, hotel tax, cannabis, transfers in, vehicle fees)$15.7M · 7%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$98.6M · 46%
- Fire, including contract service for neighboring agencies$80.7M · 37%
- Parks, recreation and neighborhoods$18.3M · 8%
- Community and economic development$9.4M · 4%
- Finance$7.9M · 4%
- Transfers out$4.8M · 2%
- Other (engineering, council, city manager, HR, attorney, clerk, budget office, auditor, non-departmental)$15.6M · 7%
- Less: budgeted vacancy savings and cost adjustments$-19.8M · -9%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Modesto is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityModesto Police DepartmentCity of Modesto
- WaterThe cityCity of ModestoAlso serves Empire, Salida and nearby county areas; buys treated surface water from the Modesto Irrigation DistrictCity of Modesto
- SewerThe cityCity of ModestoCity of Modesto
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of Modesto Parks, Recreation & NeighborhoodsCity of Modesto
- Streets and public worksThe cityCity of ModestoCity of Modesto
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 | Moreno ValleyCA | FontanaCA | ModestoCA | Santa ClaritaCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 211,365 | 219,774 | 220,048 | 232,883 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $344,677 | $383,321 | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | $21,144 | $25,272 | $31,860 | $29,336 |
| General fund per resident | $1,010 | $1,012 | $980 | $676 |
| Debt per resident | $399 | $263 | $1,237 | $384 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $400 | $849 | $1,842 | $142 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 3.2 | 6.6 | 2.2 |
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). Moreno Valley and Santa Clarita pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Modesto publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted online City of Modesto
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineWe did not find the city manager's employment agreement on the city's website or in 2025-26 council minutes, which report only his yearly reviews. City of Modesto
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public document City of Modesto
- Partly: Employee pay published Transparent California
Questions to ask your council
- The general fund has a $15.1 million structural deficit, covered in FY2026-27 with $15.2 million of Measure H sales tax. What is the plan to shrink that draw in later years?
- Police ($98.6 million) and fire ($80.7 million) are the two largest general fund lines in FY2026-27. How will rising public safety costs be balanced against parks and other services?
- The city's net pension liability was $405.3 million at June 30, 2025, and the police and fire plan was 68.43% funded. How is the city paying it down?
- Unassigned general fund reserves were $54.1 million at June 30, 2025, above the two-month target. How much of that does the council plan to keep in reserve?
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