How Red Bluff is run
Who runs Red Bluff, 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 Red Bluff's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Red Bluff
A city manager appointed by the City Council runs the city day to day. The five-member council sets policy through ordinances and resolutions, and appoints the city manager and city attorney. The city clerk and city treasurer are elected, and a November 3, 2026 ballot measure asks voters whether to make both offices appointed.
What they are paid
- Five-year contract from May 4, 2024 to May 4, 2029; he serves at the council's pleasure
- 3% cost-of-living raises on July 1, 2024 and July 1, 2025, plus any later raises given to employee groups
- Also serves as the city's Director of Emergency Services
- Optional city-paid health insurance at the same rates as the Management Group
- Each missed regular council meeting waives one twice-monthly payment
Red Bluff city staff
159 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police 54, Fire 33, Public Works 21, General Government 17, Parks & Recreation 16, Water 7, Sewer 7, Community Development 4. FY2024-25. City of Red Bluff · Mar 4, 2026
The budget lists budgeted positions and pay by position. We found no city list of pay by employee. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Red Bluff 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: $1.5M (2025-06-30). City of Red Bluff · Mar 4, 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 tax$6.5M · 30%
- Drawn from general fund balance$4.9M · 23%
- Property tax$2.4M · 11%
- Transfers in from other funds (mostly cost allocation)$2M · 10%
- Motor vehicle license fees$1.9M · 9%
- Motel tax$1.4M · 7%
- Franchise tax$555,000 · 3%
- Other (business licenses, cannabis public benefit fee, department revenue, interest and other)$1.7M · 8%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$10.6M · 49%
- Fire$5.2M · 24%
- General government buildings$1.2M · 6%
- Parks and recreation$1.1M · 5%
- Finance$994,759 · 5%
- City manager$640,644 · 3%
- Transfers to other funds$563,115 · 3%
- Other general government (council, clerk, treasurer, attorney, HR, engineering and other)$1.2M · 6%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
California caps the base property tax at 1% of assessed value; voter-approved school and college bond rates are added on top. Of the 1% base levy, the city's share is about 17 cents per dollar.
16¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Red Bluff
- City of Red Bluff (share of the 1% base levy)0.16767 · 16%
- County, schools and other agencies (rest of the 1% base levy)0.83233 · 81%
- Red Bluff High bonds0.0128 · 1%
- Shasta Community College bonds0.0126 · 1%
- Red Bluff Elementary bonds0.005 · <1%
- Total (% of assessed value)1.0304
FY2024-25 rates for a home in the city of Red Bluff (Tehama County). City of Red Bluff · Mar 4, 2026
Who provides your services
Not everything in Red Bluff is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityRed Bluff Police DepartmentCity of Red Bluff · Mar 4, 2026
- Fire and emergency responseThe cityRed Bluff Fire DepartmentCity of Red Bluff · Jun 16, 2026
- WaterThe cityCity of Red BluffCity of Red Bluff · Mar 4, 2026
- StreetsThe cityCity of Red BluffCity of Red Bluff · Mar 4, 2026
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of Red BluffCity of Red Bluff · Mar 4, 2026
- Planning, zoning and buildingThe cityCity of Red BluffCity of Red Bluff · Mar 4, 2026
- AirportContractorRed Bluff Municipal Airport, owned by the city and run by Cardan Aircraft ServicesCardan Aircraft Services is the airport's fixed base operator.City of Red Bluff · Jun 16, 2026
- LandfillAnother agencyTehama County Solid Waste Management AgencyThe city and Tehama County each own 50% of the landfill.City of Red Bluff · Mar 4, 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 | LivingstonCA | Red BluffCA | ParlierCA | Pacific GroveCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 14,402 | 14,422 | 14,658 | 14,894 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | $196,875 | Not confirmed | $266,469 |
| Council member pay | $3,600 | $11,400 | Not confirmed | $5,040 |
| General fund per resident | $696 | $1,488 | $479 | $2,418 |
| Debt per resident | $834 | $1,214 | $185 | $770 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $650 | $470 | $198 | $3,587 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | — | 11.0 | 5.9 | 7.2 |
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). Livingston pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Red Bluff 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 Red Bluff · Jun 16, 2026
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineCouncil minutes list each member's vote by name, for example the June 16, 2026 budget adoption. City of Red Bluff · Jun 16, 2026
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public document City of Red Bluff · Mar 3, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- Police ($10,577,765) and fire ($5,193,991) together take up most of the $21,463,555 FY2026-27 general fund budget. How will the city keep paying for them as the fund balance falls?
- In FY2024-25 general fund spending of $18,481,234 exceeded revenue of $16,080,017. Which costs are one-time and which are ongoing?
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