How Selma is run
Who runs Selma, 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 Selma's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Selma
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.
What they are paid
- Three-year contract, November 17, 2025 to November 17, 2028
- Car allowance of $650 a month and cell phone allowance of $125 a month
- City deposits $5,000 a year into a 457 deferred compensation account
- City pays 90% of health, dental and vision premiums, plus $100,000 of life insurance
- The budget includes $54,585 for council health benefits (FY2026-27)
Selma city staff
161 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police field operations 27, Ambulance service 25, Fire operations 24, Police support 12, Dispatch 8. FY2026-27. City of Selma · Jun 16, 2026
Counts are full-time positions. The budget also lists 42 part-time positions. The city posts a master salary schedule with pay ranges for every job title. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Selma 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: $15.2M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: A minimum general fund reserve of 20% of recurring operating spending: a 15% working capital reserve plus a 5% emergency reserve (Resolution No. 2022-50R). The budget projects a general fund balance of about 67% of spending at June 30, 2027. City of Selma · Mar 31, 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$8.9M · 41%
- Vehicle license fee (VLF) money from the state$2.8M · 13%
- Property tax$2.5M · 12%
- Transfers in and other financing sources$2.2M · 10%
- Charges for services$1.6M · 8%
- Franchise fees$1.2M · 6%
- Licenses and permits$759,150 · 4%
- Hotel tax (transient occupancy)$600,000 · 3%
- Other (reimbursements, interest and rent, fines, miscellaneous)$833,999 · 4%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$7.7M · 36%
- Fire$4.8M · 23%
- Administrative services$2.2M · 10%
- Community services$1.7M · 8%
- Development services$1.7M · 8%
- Public works$1.2M · 6%
- Finance$1.2M · 6%
- Other (internal services)$867,504 · 4%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Selma is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe citySelma Police DepartmentCity of Selma · Mar 31, 2026
- Fire protectionThe citySelma Fire DepartmentCity of Selma · Mar 31, 2026
- AmbulanceThe citySelma Fire DepartmentAdvanced life support ambulance serviceCity of Selma · Jun 16, 2026
- WaterPrivate companyCalifornia Water Service (Cal Water)California Water Service
- Sewer collection and treatmentSeparate districtSelma-Kingsburg-Fowler County Sanitation DistrictSelma-Kingsburg-Fowler County Sanitation District: About Us
- TransitThe cityCity of SelmaCity of Selma · Mar 31, 2026
- StreetsThe cityCity of SelmaCity of Selma · Mar 31, 2026
- ParksThe cityCity of Selma Public WorksCity of Selma · Jun 16, 2026
- Animal shelterThe cityCity of Selma Community ServicesCity of Selma · Jun 16, 2026
- LibraryThe countyFresno County Public Library (Selma Branch)Fresno County Public Library
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 | SelmaCA | Seal BeachCA | DuarteCA | WindsorCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 24,484 | 24,496 | 24,841 | 25,498 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $214,791 | $288,390 | $280,295 | Not current (2022) |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | $7,200 | $11,946 | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $905 | $2,041 | $1,241 | $1,077 |
| Debt per resident | $1,108 | $127 | $79 | $577 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $158 | $2,051 | $739 | $610 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 6.6 | 6.4 | 3.0 | — |
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). Seal Beach and Duarte and Windsor pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Selma publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineThe FY2026-27 adopted budget, dated June 16, 2026, is on the Finance department's documents page. City of Selma · Jun 16, 2026
- Yes: City manager's contract findable onlineThe 2025 contract is in the Oct. 21, 2025 council agenda packet. City of Selma · Oct 21, 2025
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineMinutes in council agenda packets list Ayes and Noes by name. City of Selma · Oct 21, 2025
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes online City of Selma
- Yes: Employee pay published City of Selma · Oct 21, 2025
Questions to ask your council
- In FY2024-25 the general fund spent $22.3 million and took in $19.5 million, and its balance fell $2.62 million. How much of the FY2026-27 budget depends on one-time money?
- Unassigned general fund reserves were $15.2 million on June 30, 2025, well above the 20% minimum. What is the plan for the amount above the policy?
- The city still owes $14.26 million on its 2022 pension obligation bonds. How do yearly bond payments compare with the CalPERS payments they replaced?
The fiscal year runs July 1 to June 30. The council adopted the FY2026-27 budget on June 16, 2026. The prior year's proposed budget was reviewed at a May 28, 2025 special council meeting. See who is running for council
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