How Redlands is run
Who runs Redlands, 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 Redlands's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Redlands
A city manager appointed by the council runs the city day to day and appoints department heads. The five-member council, elected by district, passes ordinances, adopts the budget and hires the city manager and city attorney. Voters also elect the city clerk and city treasurer.
What they are paid
- Severance of 12 months' base salary if fired without cause
- $500 a month vehicle allowance
- City pays the legal maximum into his 457(b) plan each year, plus a 401(a) contribution
- Eligible for a yearly incentive bonus at the council's discretion
- CalPERS pension at 2% at 62
Redlands city staff
649 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police 161, Facilities and Community Services 159, Municipal Utilities and Engineering 99, Fire 70. FY2026-27. City of Redlands · Jun 16, 2026
The city posts its salary resolution and monthly pay range tables for every job class. We did not add totals from the State Controller's pay database. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Redlands 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: $63.4M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: The city aims to keep unassigned general fund balance at no less than two months (16.67%) of regular general fund operating revenues or expenditures. At June 30, 2025 the general fund also held $11.1M committed for contingencies and $29.1M set aside for future municipal facilities. City of Redlands · 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$47.9M · 35%
- Sales tax (base 1%)$27.8M · 21%
- Measure T sales tax (1-cent, voter-approved)$20.6M · 15%
- Charges for services$8.5M · 6%
- Business licenses$6.7M · 5%
- Interfund charges$5.9M · 4%
- Drawn from unassigned fund balance$5.7M · 4%
- Transfers in (mainly gas tax)$2.6M · 2%
- Other (franchise fees, hotel and other taxes, investment income, reserve releases)$9.5M · 7%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$43.6M · 32%
- Fire$24.6M · 18%
- Facilities, parks and animal services$20.7M · 15%
- Human Resources$6.7M · 5%
- Transfer to liability self-insurance fund$6M · 4%
- Development Services$5.9M · 4%
- Transfer to paramedic fund$5.5M · 4%
- Set aside for future facilities$5M · 4%
- Other (library, management services, city manager, city attorney, council, clerk, engineering, recreation, other transfers)$17.2M · 13%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Rates from the city's audited rate table. The 1% levy split is for the tax rate area with the largest value in the city, before state ERAF shifts may apply. The city has no voter-approved debt rate of its own. Parts of Redlands are in San Bernardino City Unified instead, with a different school bond rate.
19¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Redlands
- Redlands Unified School District: share of the 1% levy0.3016 · 26%
- Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund (state school shift)0.2211 · 19%
- City of Redlands: share of the 1% levy0.21878 · 19%
- San Bernardino County general fund0.146 · 12%
- San Bernardino Community College District: share of the 1% levy0.0513 · 4%
- Other agencies' shares of the 1% levy (flood control, water districts, county schools office)0.06122 · 5%
- San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District (voter-approved)0.11 · 9%
- San Bernardino Community College District bonds0.037 · 3%
- Redlands Unified School District bonds0.0277 · 2%
- Total (% of assessed value)1.1747
FY2024-25 rates for a home in Redlands Unified School District (San Bernardino County). City of Redlands · Dec 18, 2025
See what a Redlands house pays, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Redlands is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityRedlands Police DepartmentCity of Redlands · Dec 18, 2025
- 911 dispatchThe cityRedlands Police Department Communications UnitDispatchers also monitor fire department radio channelsCity of Redlands · Jun 16, 2026
- FireThe cityRedlands Fire DepartmentCity of Redlands · Dec 18, 2025
- EMS (paramedic response)The cityRedlands Fire DepartmentFirefighter-paramedics staff a rapid advanced life support squadCity of Redlands · Jun 16, 2026
- Animal controlThe cityCity of Redlands Facilities and Animal ServicesCity of Redlands · Dec 18, 2025
- WaterThe cityCity of Redlands Municipal Utilities and EngineeringCity of Redlands · Dec 18, 2025
- ParksThe cityCity of Redlands Parks DivisionAbout 800 acres, including 27 parksCity of Redlands · Jun 16, 2026
- City streetsThe cityCity of RedlandsCity of Redlands · Dec 18, 2025
- CemeteryThe cityHillside Memorial Park (city-owned)City of Redlands · Jun 16, 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 | TulareCA | RedlandsCA | Lake ElsinoreCA | DublinCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 72,936 | 73,811 | 74,483 | 74,769 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $254,699 | Not current (2022) | $327,540 | $377,481 |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $19,200 | $19,200 |
| General fund per resident | $957 | $1,832 | $1,108 | $1,756 |
| Debt per resident | $2,804 | $263 | $2,516 | $214 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $1,175 | $2,070 | $200 | $303 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 5.6 | 8.8 | 2.9 | 1.5 |
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). Lake Elsinore and Dublin pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Redlands 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 Redlands
- Partly: City manager's contract findable online City of Redlands · Oct 4, 2022
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member online City of Redlands · Jun 16, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes online City of Redlands
- Partly: Council pay stated in a public documentThe adopted budget shows $84,000 a year of elected official compensation for the council, but not each member's pay. City of Redlands · Jun 16, 2026
- Yes: Employee pay published City of Redlands
Questions to ask your council
- The city's three CalPERS plans were $152.8 million short at June 30, 2025, while its bonds and loans total $19.4 million. Does the city plan payments toward the pension shortfall beyond the required minimum?
- The general fund held $29.1 million for future municipal facilities at June 30, 2025, with $5.0 million more set aside in FY2026-27. What is the expected total cost of the new City Hall and the other planned facilities?
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