How Norwalk is run
Who runs Norwalk, 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 Norwalk's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Who runs Norwalk
A city manager appointed by the council runs the city day to day. The five-member council sets policy and adopts the budget, and each year picks one of its members as mayor. Norwalk is a contract city: the Los Angeles County Sheriff provides police service and the county fire department provides fire protection.
What they are paid
- Contract runs to Jan. 31, 2027
- Severance if fired without cause: 12 months' base pay plus one month for each year served, up to 18 months, but no more than the pay left on the contract
- Raises in the same percentage and at the same time as other management and director staff
- A $10,000 yearly discretionary expense account for each member (FY2026-27 budget)
- The mayor and council budget includes $30,000 for auto allowances and $54,200 for council deferred compensation (FY2026-27)
- Retiree medical insurance: $63,200 in the mayor and council budget (FY2026-27)
Norwalk city staff
304 full-time-equivalent positions, including Public Services (general fund) 66, Transit 62, General government 41, Public Safety Department 26, Community Development 20. FY2026-27. Budgeted full-time positions, one fewer than in FY2025-26. The city also budgets 352,883 part-time hours. City of Norwalk · Jun 16, 2026
The city posts a salary schedule with pay steps for every job class. We did not pull pay bands from the State Controller's database. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Norwalk 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: $20.9M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: Keep unassigned general fund balance of at least 20% of operating spending and minor capital outlays. The city reported that the June 30, 2025 balance complied with this policy. The city meets this target. City of Norwalk · Dec 18, 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 in lieu of vehicle license fees$18M · 20%
- Sales tax (state formula share)$14.9M · 17%
- Other property taxes (incl. recreation and park area, former redevelopment share)$12.8M · 14%
- Measure P sales tax (3/4 cent, voter-approved 2020)$10.8M · 12%
- Other general revenues$6.4M · 7%
- Utility user tax$6.3M · 7%
- Franchise fees (incl. cable TV)$4.4M · 5%
- Other (department fees and charges, hotel tax, business license, property transfer tax)$8.8M · 10%
- From general fund balance$6.6M · 7%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police (Los Angeles County Sheriff's contract)$17.7M · 20%
- General government (council, manager, attorney, clerk, HR, finance, IT, communications)$17.2M · 19%
- Public services (streets, parks upkeep, facilities)$15.9M · 18%
- Public Safety Department and homeless outreach$9.7M · 11%
- Transfers to capital reserve funds$9.3M · 10%
- Recreation and parks$7.4M · 8%
- Community development$6.2M · 7%
- Social services$4.6M · 5%
- Other (debt service)$1.3M · 1%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Our sum from the city's audited rate table for its largest tax rate area: the 1% base levy plus the voter-approved rates of the school and college districts that share in that area's 1% levy, and the Metropolitan Water District. Homes in parts of Norwalk served by other school districts (ABC, Downey, Little Lake, Whittier Union) pay those districts' bond rates instead.
0¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Norwalk
- 1% base levy (shared by the county, schools, the fire district, the city and others)The city's share is about 0.093 of the 1%.1 · 83%
- Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District bonds0.12655 · 11%
- Cerritos Community College District bonds0.06489 · 5%
- Metropolitan Water District0.007 · <1%
- Total (% of assessed value)1.19844
FY2024-25 rates for a home in Norwalk's largest tax rate area (Los Angeles County). City of Norwalk · Dec 18, 2025
See what a Norwalk house pays, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Norwalk 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 Department (Norwalk Station), by contractCity of Norwalk · Dec 18, 2025
- FireThe countyLos Angeles County Fire DepartmentCity of Norwalk · Dec 18, 2025
- WaterThe cityNorwalk Municipal Water System (part of the city)City of Norwalk
- Trash and recyclingContractorAthens ServicesCity of Norwalk
- Public transitThe cityNorwalk Transit System (city-run bus and dial-a-ride)City of Norwalk · Dec 18, 2025
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of Norwalk Recreation and Park Services14 public parks, the Aquatic Pavilion and the Norwalk Arts & Sports Complex.City of Norwalk · Dec 18, 2025
- Social servicesThe cityCity of Norwalk Social Services DepartmentEmergency food and shelter help, senior meals and child care programs.City of Norwalk · Dec 18, 2025
- SchoolsSeparate districtNorwalk-La Mirada Unified School DistrictParts of the city are in the ABC, Downey, Little Lake and Whittier Union districts.City of Norwalk · Dec 18, 2025
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 | VistaCA | NorwalkCA | Daly CityCA | VacavilleCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 101,365 | 101,453 | 101,898 | 103,195 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $325,944 | $366,324 | $490,659 | $301,000 |
| Council member pay | $38,352 | $11,411 | $28,676 | $9,948 |
| General fund per resident | $1,300 | $880 | $1,318 | $1,641 |
| Debt per resident | $943 | $272 | $20 | $900 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $773 | $463 | $2,300 | $2,255 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 3.3 | 3.0 | 4.9 | 6.5 |
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). Vista and Norwalk pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Norwalk publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Partly: City manager's contract findable online City of Norwalk
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineAdopted resolutions list each member's vote, e.g. the FY2026-27 salary schedule passed June 16, 2026 with four yes votes and one absent. City of Norwalk · Jun 16, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineAgendas with attachments, approved minutes and council meeting videos with an item index are posted online. City of Norwalk · Jun 16, 2026
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe FY2026-27 salary schedule lists $950.91 a month for the mayor, vice mayor and council members. City of Norwalk · Jun 16, 2026
- Yes: Employee pay published City of Norwalk
Questions to ask your council
- Sales tax is projected to fall for a third year in a row. How would the council respond if the $14.9 million budgeted for FY2026-27 comes in lower?
- CalPERS reports the city's pension plan was $47.0 million short at June 30, 2025, and the FY2026-27 budget makes no extra paydown. When will the council consider extra payments again?
- The city manager's contract runs to Jan. 31, 2027. When will the council take up its renewal in public session?
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