How Redwood City is run
Who runs Redwood City, 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 Redwood City's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Redwood City
Seven council members, each elected by district, set policy, pass ordinances and adopt the budget. They appoint the City Manager, who carries out council policy, and the City Attorney. The city runs its own police, fire, library, water and sewer collection, and the Port of Redwood City.
What they are paid
- If fired without cause: a lump sum of nine months' base salary plus nine months of 401(a) contributions and health, dental and vision premiums
- Either side can end the job with 30 days' written notice
- The council may not consider firing him within 90 days after an election that seats a new council member
- Professional development allowance of $2,400 a year
- Vacation accrues at the rate for executive managers with 20 years of service
- City and manager agree to discuss relocation and housing help by his first anniversary
Redwood City city staff
635 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police 135, Public Works Services 113, Fire 102. FY2026-27. City of Redwood City · Jun 22, 2026
The city posts salary ranges for every job class, including the City Manager. We did not pull pay bands from the State Controller's database. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Redwood City 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: $34M (2025-06-30). City of Redwood City · May 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
- Property tax$88M · 43%
- Sales tax$36.3M · 18%
- Charges for services$25.7M · 13%
- Other taxes (business license, hotel tax and others)$16.9M · 8%
- Utility users tax$11.7M · 6%
- Interest and rentals$6M · 3%
- Licenses and permits$5.9M · 3%
- Other (other revenues, state and federal aid, recreation, library, fines)$14.4M · 7%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$60.9M · 30%
- Fire$52.6M · 26%
- Parks and recreation$27.8M · 13%
- Community development$15.1M · 7%
- Library$12.7M · 6%
- Non-departmental$8.2M · 4%
- City Manager$7.9M · 4%
- Other (finance, human resources, city attorney, public works, engineering, IT, council)$20.8M · 10%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
The city has no voter-approved tax rate of its own. Its share of property tax comes out of the basic 1% levy, which the county splits among local governments. Other Redwood City tax rate areas have different school bond rates.
17¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Redwood City
- City of Redwood City share of the basic 1% levy0.1906 · 17%
- County, schools and other agencies' share of the basic 1% levy0.8094 · 73%
- Elementary school bonds0.0456 · 4%
- High school bonds0.0388 · 4%
- Community college bonds0.0178 · 2%
- Midpeninsula open space0.0013 · <1%
- Total (per $100 of taxable value)1.1035
FY2024-25 rates for a home in Redwood City (San Mateo County, tax rate area 009-001). City of Redwood City · May 29, 2026
Who provides your services
Not everything in Redwood City is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityRedwood City Police DepartmentCity of Redwood City · May 29, 2026
- Fire protection and paramedicsThe cityRedwood City Fire DepartmentThe department also serves San Carlos under a fire service contract.City of Redwood City · Jun 22, 2026
- WaterThe cityCity of Redwood CityAll drinking water is bought from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission's Hetch Hetchy system.City of Redwood City · Jun 22, 2026
- Sewer collectionThe cityCity of Redwood CityCity of Redwood City · May 29, 2026
- Sewage treatmentAnother agencySilicon Valley Clean WaterA joint powers authority; Redwood City is its largest equity holder.City of Redwood City · May 29, 2026
- LibraryThe cityRedwood City Public LibraryCity of Redwood City · May 29, 2026
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of Redwood CityCity of Redwood City · May 29, 2026
- StreetsThe cityCity of Redwood CityCity of Redwood City · May 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 | Redwood CityCA | MilpitasCA | Newport BeachCA | AlhambraCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 81,809 | 82,107 | 82,306 | 82,544 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $390,000 | $350,000 | $363,071 | $347,169 |
| Council member pay | $9,000 | $10,852 | $21,374 | $13,253 |
| General fund per resident | $2,519 | $1,852 | $4,235 | $1,251 |
| Debt per resident | $1,110 | $857 | $1,094 | $145 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $3,368 | $3,071 | $2,956 | $1,664 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 7.8 | 5.5 | 11.4 | 5.9 |
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 Redwood City 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 onlineThe City Manager employment agreement is attached to the November 24, 2025 council agenda. City of Redwood City · Nov 24, 2025
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes online City of Redwood City
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe city salary ranges list City Council Member pay of $750 a month. City of Redwood City · Aug 24, 2026
- Yes: Employee pay published City of Redwood City · Aug 24, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- Police ($60.9M) and fire ($52.6M) together take more than half of the $206.1M FY2026-27 general fund budget. How will the council measure what it gets for that money?
The fiscal year starts July 1. The council holds a budget study session in February and a capital plan session in April. The FY2026-27 recommended budget went to the council on May 29, 2026, had a study session on June 8, 2026 and was adopted unanimously on June 22, 2026. See who is running for council
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