How Soledad is run
Who runs Soledad, 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 Soledad's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Soledad
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
- City pays 5% of her salary into a deferred compensation plan
- Severance of 7 to 9 months' salary if fired without cause, depending on the contract year
- Car allowance of $500 a month
- 20 days of vacation plus 80 hours of administrative leave a year
- She pays the full 7% employee share of the CalPERS contribution
- Three-year contract from May 15, 2025 to May 15, 2028
Soledad city staff
88 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police 27, Public Works (utilities) 21, Public Works 17, Community and Economic Development 7, Recreation 4. FY2026-27. Budgeted full-time equivalents. Several positions, including one police officer, are left unfunded in FY2026-27. City of Soledad · Aug 19, 2026
The city posts a monthly salary schedule for every job title in its budget. Firefighters work for CAL FIRE under contract, not the city. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Soledad 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.
The city's own outlook
The budget describes a structural general fund deficit: costs for the CAL FIRE contract, insurance, 911 dispatch and pensions are growing faster than revenue. FY2026-27 uses $444,204 of reserves after cuts of about 10%. From FY2027-28 the city projects it needs at least $1 million a year in new ongoing revenue, and the Measure Y sales tax ends in 2032. City of Soledad · Aug 19, 2026
Savings
Unassigned general fund balance: $4.3M (2025-06-30). City of Soledad · Jul 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
- Property taxes, including vehicle license fee in-lieu money$6M · 38%
- Measure Y sales tax (1%, ends 2032)$2.4M · 15%
- Sales tax (base 1%)$1.3M · 8%
- Measure S sales tax (0.5%)$1.2M · 8%
- Franchise fees$985,679 · 6%
- Utility users tax$975,000 · 6%
- Licenses and permits$713,500 · 4%
- Other (grants, transfers in, other revenue, state aid, service charges, hotel tax, fines)$2.4M · 15%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police (including Measure Y)$6.4M · 39%
- Fire and emergency response (CAL FIRE contract, including Measure Y)$3.2M · 20%
- Non-departmental (insurance, utilities, facilities, capital)$1.6M · 10%
- Recreation$1.1M · 7%
- Planning and community development$947,965 · 6%
- Parks$855,023 · 5%
- City Manager and City Clerk$521,687 · 3%
- Building$446,319 · 3%
- Other (council, attorney, human resources, IT, finance, public works admin, animal control, community engagement)$1.3M · 8%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Soledad is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe citySoledad Police Department20 sworn officers authorized.City of Soledad · Aug 19, 2026
- Fire and emergency medical responseContractorCAL FIRE, under contract with the cityUnder contract since January 2012, from one station that also serves the Mission-Soledad Fire Protection District.City of Soledad · Aug 19, 2026
- WaterThe cityCity of Soledad Water DivisionFive city-owned wells and four reservoirs.City of Soledad · Aug 19, 2026
- Sewer and stormwaterThe cityCity of Soledad Wastewater DivisionCity of Soledad · Aug 19, 2026
- Trash and recyclingContractorTri-Cities Disposal and RecyclingFranchise agreement. The city does the billing.City of Soledad · Aug 19, 2026
- LandfillAnother agencySalinas Valley Solid Waste Authority (Salinas Valley Recycles)City of Soledad · Aug 19, 2026
- Animal shelteringContractorSPCACity of Soledad · Aug 19, 2026
- ParksThe cityCity of Soledad Public WorksCity of Soledad · Aug 19, 2026
- StreetsThe cityCity of Soledad Streets ProgramPaid mainly from state gas tax, SB 1 and Measure X money.City of Soledad · Aug 19, 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 | SoledadCA | GaltCA | Twentynine PalmsCA | SangerCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 27,065 | 27,133 | 27,166 | 27,403 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $254,383 | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $200,000 |
| Council member pay | $11,400 | Not confirmed | $5,580 | Not current (2017) |
| General fund per resident | $605 | $1,222 | $580 | $958 |
| Debt per resident | $883 | $817 | $41 | $1,838 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $274 | $1,120 | $59 | $322 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 3.2 | 7.4 | — | 5.7 |
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). Soledad and Galt and Twentynine Palms pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Soledad 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 budget, adopted August 19, 2026, is posted on the city's Finance budget page. City of Soledad · Aug 19, 2026
- Yes: City manager's contract findable online City of Soledad · Aug 20, 2025
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member online City of Soledad · Oct 7, 2026
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe budget's salary schedule lists the mayor at $1,050 and council members at $950 a month. City of Soledad · Aug 19, 2026
- Yes: Employee pay published City of Soledad · Aug 19, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The FY2026-27 budget uses $444,204 of reserves, and the city projects it needs at least $1 million a year in new revenue from FY2027-28. What mix of new revenue and service cuts will the council choose?
- Measure Y sales tax is budgeted at $2,428,000 in FY2026-27 and ends in 2032. What is the plan to replace it?
- The FY2024-25 audit is dated July 31, 2026, more than a year after year-end. What will it take to finish the next audit by November?
- The city owed $23.9 million in loans and bonds on June 30, 2025, mostly a state sewer plant loan. Will the planned water and sewer rate study cover the payments and repairs ahead?
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