Santa MariaNot a ballot

How Santa Maria is run

Who runs Santa Maria, 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 Santa Maria's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.

Who runs Santa Maria

A city manager hired by the council runs the city day to day. The council sets policy, adopts the budget and sets the tax rate.

City of Santa Maria · Jun 16, 2026

What they are paid

City manager David W. Rowlands: base pay$362,0412025-06-28. City of Santa Maria · Sep 16, 2025
In the contract
  • 12 months' base salary plus health benefits as severance if fired without cause
  • City pays 4% of salary into a 457 deferred compensation plan
  • Car allowance of $323.08 every two weeks
  • CalPERS pension, 2% at 62 formula
  • City-paid term life insurance of twice his annual salary
A council member$20,483 a year2026-06-27. Monthly salary of $1,706.90 times 12. City of Santa Maria · Jun 16, 2026
The mayor$23,483 a year2026-06-27. Monthly salary of $1,956.90 times 12. City of Santa Maria · Jun 16, 2026

Santa Maria city staff

704 full-time-equivalent positions. FY2026-27. 713 positions, 39 fewer than the FY2025-26 mid-cycle budget. The city says no layoffs are planned. City of Santa Maria · Jun 16, 2026

The city posts a pay schedule with salary ranges for each job; we found no city-posted list of individual employees' pay. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.

Is Santa Maria 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.

General fund, FY2026-27$108MOut of $369M across all city funds, which includes utilities and other money that can only be spent on one thing. City of Santa Maria · Jun 16, 2026
Savings grew, FY2022-23 (audited)+$2.2MGeneral fund revenue $108M, spending $102M. Took in $5.7 million more than it spent. After $3.5 million in net transfers out, the general fund balance rose $2.2 million. Audits for FY2023-24 and FY2024-25 were not finished as of the city's latest reports. City of Santa Maria · Jul 25, 2024

The city's own outlook

The city says general fund spending exceeds ongoing revenue by $7.3 million in FY2026-27 and $7.9 million in FY2027-28. FY2026-27 is balanced with a one-time $7.3 million draw from the LEAF reserve, leaving about $938,000 there. FY2027-28 is not yet balanced, and staff say significant cuts will be needed. City of Santa Maria · Jun 16, 2026

Savings against the city's own target

Unassigned general fund balance: $27.1M (2023-06-30). The city's own target: Keep unassigned general fund balance of at least 25% of operating appropriations, plus a separate $19.8 million economic stabilization (prudent) reserve that only the council can tap in emergencies. City of Santa Maria · Jul 25, 2024

Pension promises not yet funded$180MCalPERS figures as of June 30, 2025: the miscellaneous plan was $99.0 million short (72.3% funded), the police plan $55.0 million short (74.5% funded) and the fire plan $25.5 million short (76.5% funded). (2025-06-30). CalPERS
Debt owed$43M2023-06-30. City of Santa Maria · Jul 25, 2024

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$31.5M · 29%
  • Property taxes (including in lieu of vehicle license fees)$29.5M · 27%
  • Transfers in (including the $7.3 million reserve draw)$16.9M · 16%
  • Charges for services$10.9M · 10%
  • Licenses, permits and fines$5.2M · 5%
  • Hotel tax$4M · 4%
  • Franchise fees$3.3M · 3%
  • Other (interest and rent, business license, state aid, misc.)$6.1M · 6%

City of Santa Maria · Jun 16, 2026

Goes to (FY2026-27)

  • Police$43.9M · 41%
  • Fire$15.1M · 14%
  • Finance$12M · 11%
  • Recreation and parks$11.4M · 11%
  • City Manager's office$10.7M · 10%
  • Community development$7.5M · 7%
  • Public works$5.3M · 5%
  • Other (city attorney, mayor and council)$1.7M · 2%

City of Santa Maria · Jun 16, 2026

Who provides your services

Not everything in Santa Maria is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.

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.

MurrietaCASanta MariaCATemeculaCARichmondCA
Residents112,315113,041113,618113,695
Top administrator's base pay$362,167$362,041$367,682$380,089
Council member pay$18,449$20,483$22,800$30,294
General fund per resident$716$952$1,147$2,429
Debt per resident$599$380$12$3,661
Unfunded pension per resident$599$1,588$269$3,108
City staff per 1,000 residents4.36.21.87.1

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). Temecula pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.

What Santa Maria publishes

What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.

Questions to ask your council

  1. The FY2026-27 general fund budget uses a one-time $7.3 million transfer from the LEAF reserve, and FY2027-28 still shows a $7.9 million gap. Which cuts or new revenue will close it?
  2. The latest posted audit is for FY2022-23, and auditors found in May 2026 that FY2023-24 revenues were overstated. When will the FY2023-24 and FY2024-25 audits be finished?
  3. CalPERS shows the city's three pension plans $179.5 million short as of June 30, 2025. How does the six-year plan pay that down?
  4. Police take $43.9 million of the $107.6 million general fund budget. How will the positions deleted from the general fund affect police and other services?

The fiscal year starts July 1. The council adopts a two-year budget and reviews it before the second year. For FY2026-28, staff began planning in October 2025, the council held a public hearing June 2, 2026, and adopted the budget June 16, 2026 (Resolution No. 2026-103). See who is running for council

Help decide what comes next

What do you want to know about Santa Maria next?

One tap, no sign-in. We count answers; we never show who chose what.

Every number here was checked by hand against the linked document. Cities publish on different schedules, so years differ between sections; each figure says which year it describes. Spotted something wrong or out of date?

See something wrong? Report an error

Something wrong or missing? Tell us what and where, with a link to a source if you have one. Reports feed the next verification run.