How Oxnard is run
Who runs Oxnard, 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 Oxnard's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Oxnard
A city manager appointed by the council runs the city day to day. The seven-member council, a mayor elected citywide and six members elected by district, passes laws, adopts the budget and appoints the city manager and city attorney. Voters also elect the city clerk and the city treasurer.
What they are paid
- Nine months' salary as a lump-sum severance if fired without cause, capped by the months left on the contract
- Annual leave on the schedule for the city's executive employees
- Must live inside the city
- Contract runs to July 8, 2029, with no built-in raises for the extension
Oxnard city staff
1,496 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police (officers and civilians) 371, General government 346, Environmental resources (trash and recycling) 182, Fire (firefighters and civilians) 155, Culture, leisure and libraries 125. FY2024-25. City of Oxnard · Jul 29, 2026
The city's salary schedule lists pay ranges 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 Oxnard 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 FY2026-27 general fund budget spends $257.1M against $247.0M of revenue and transfers in, using fund balance for one-time projects. The city's five-year forecast says its one-time funds will be used up by FY2028-29 and the operating reserve will drop below the policy target. Measure O, a half-cent sales tax that brings in about $19 million a year, ends in 2029; the council placed a renewal on the November 3, 2026 ballot. City of Oxnard · Jun 16, 2026
Savings
Unassigned general fund balance: $11.2M (2025-06-30). City of Oxnard · Jul 29, 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 and use tax (including the 1.5-cent Measure E)$120M · 47%
- Property tax$77.3M · 30%
- Transfers in from other funds$11.3M · 4%
- Business license tax$7.5M · 3%
- Miscellaneous income$7.2M · 3%
- Fees and charges$6.7M · 3%
- Hotel tax$6.1M · 2%
- Other (franchise tax, cannabis tax, permits, state and special revenues, recreation)$10.6M · 4%
- From savings (fund balance)$10M · 4%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$92M · 36%
- Public works (streets, parks, facilities)$44.6M · 17%
- Fire$41.8M · 16%
- Administration (council, clerk, manager, attorney, finance, HR, treasurer)$25.1M · 10%
- Culture, recreation and libraries$19.1M · 7%
- Community development (planning, building, code enforcement)$16.7M · 6%
- Non-departmental$11.8M · 5%
- Housing$5.9M · 2%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
The city gets a share of the 1% base levy, which this table does not break out. Its own extra rate is a voter-approved property tax that pays toward retirement costs for police and fire employees. Homes in other school districts in the city pay different school bond rates.
4¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Oxnard
- 1% base levy (shared by the county, the city, schools and other agencies)1 · 81%
- Oxnard School District bondsFour bond rates: 0.0212, 0.0446, 0.0273 and 0.0240 (Measure I)0.1171 · 10%
- City of Oxnard voter-approved levyListed as City Oxnard Dist #1 Bond0.050615 · 4%
- Oxnard Union High School District bondsFour bond rates: 0.0030, 0.0113, 0.0273 and 0.0016 (Measure E)0.0432 · 4%
- Ventura County Community College District bonds0.0139 · 1%
- Metropolitan Water District0.007 · <1%
- Total (% of assessed value)1.231815
FY2025-26 rates for a home in the city of Oxnard (Ventura County), tax rate area 03001. County of Ventura Auditor-Controller
See what a Oxnard house pays, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Oxnard is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityOxnard Police DepartmentCity of Oxnard · Jul 29, 2026
- Fire and emergency medical responseThe cityOxnard Fire DepartmentCity of Oxnard · Jul 29, 2026
- WaterThe cityCity of Oxnard WaterCity of Oxnard · Jul 29, 2026
- Sewer and stormwaterThe cityCity of Oxnard WastewaterCity of Oxnard · Jul 29, 2026
- Trash and recyclingThe cityCity of Oxnard Environmental ResourcesCity of Oxnard · Jul 29, 2026
- StreetsThe cityCity of Oxnard Public WorksCity of Oxnard · Jul 29, 2026
- ParksThe cityCity of Oxnard Public WorksCity of Oxnard · Jul 29, 2026
- LibraryThe cityOxnard Public Library (city-run)City of Oxnard · Jul 29, 2026
- Golf courseThe cityRiver Ridge Golf Course (city-owned)City of Oxnard · Jul 29, 2026
- SchoolsSeparate districtFour K-8 school districts and the Oxnard Union High School DistrictCity of Oxnard · Jul 29, 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 | OntarioCA | Elk GroveCA | Huntington BeachCA | OxnardCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 187,863 | 188,319 | 191,498 | 198,557 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | $332,237 | $311,750 | $351,120 |
| Council member pay | $30,600 | $30,600 | Not confirmed | $20,412 |
| General fund per resident | $2,563 | $571 | $1,714 | $1,295 |
| Debt per resident | $5,037 | $180 | $1,805 | $1,594 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $781 | $120 | $830 | $1,555 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 8.1 | 2.5 | 5.2 | 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).
What Oxnard 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 audited report for the year that ended June 30, 2025 is dated July 29, 2026, more than a year after the year ended. City of Oxnard
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineThe FY2026-27 adopted budget book, with the budget resolutions, is posted on the city's budget page. City of Oxnard
- Yes: City manager's contract findable online City of Oxnard
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineMinutes list each member's vote, e.g. the 6-1 vote adopting the FY2026-27 budget on June 16, 2026. City of Oxnard
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes online City of Oxnard
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe salary schedule lists $785.08 every two weeks ($20,412.08 a year) for council members and the mayor. City of Oxnard
Questions to ask your council
- Measure O, a half-cent sales tax worth about $19 million a year, ends in 2029, and its renewal is on the November 3, 2026 ballot. How would the budget change if it does not pass?
- The audited report for the year that ended June 30, 2025 is dated July 29, 2026. When will the FY2025-26 report be done?
The fiscal year starts July 1. The council held a public hearing on the proposed FY2026-27 budget June 1, 2026 and adopted it June 16, 2026 on a 6-1 vote. See who is running for council
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