How South El Monte is run

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

Who runs South El Monte

A city manager hired by the council runs the city day to day and appoints department heads. The five-member council passes ordinances, adopts the budget and hires the city manager and city attorney.

You vote forThe city council: 5 membersMayor Gloria Olmos.

The council hires and can fireCity Manager · City AttorneyCity Manager: Rene Salas, since Jan 25, 2023

The city manager hiresEveryone else: department heads, police and fire chiefs where the city has them, and all staff

City of South El Monte · Jan 29, 2026

What they are paid

City manager Rene Salas: base pay$268,8002026-05-05. Raised from $240,000 by a contract amendment the council approved May 5, 2026 on a 3-2 vote. The amended contract runs to May 5, 2033. City of South El Monte · May 5, 2026

In the contract

Severance of 12 months' base salary if fired without cause
Can be fired without cause only by a 4-of-5 council vote, and not within six months after a city election
City pays $500 a month into a 457 deferred compensation plan
Medical, vision and dental benefits after leaving city employment, subject to vesting conditions

A council member (as of 2022)Not confirmed2022-12-13. Ordinance 1259 sets each council member's monthly salary from December 2022, written out in words as one thousand one hundred thirty-three dollars and forty-three cents. We found no city document that states it in figures. City of South El Monte · Sep 13, 2022

The mayor (as of 2022)Not confirmed2022-12-13. The ordinance sets one salary for each member of the city council. We found no separate pay for the mayor. City of South El Monte · Sep 13, 2022

Council benefits

Car allowance of up to $7,800 a year ($650 a month)

South El Monte city staff

101 full-time-equivalent positions. FY2026-27. 61 full-time and 118 part-time positions. City of South El Monte · Jun 16, 2026

The city posts monthly salary ranges by job title for 2026-27 and links to the State Controller's pay database. Named pay here is limited to the city manager and council. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.

Is South El Monte 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$28MOut of $49.4M across all city funds, which includes utilities and other money that can only be spent on one thing. City of South El Monte · Jun 16, 2026

Savings grew, FY2025 (audited)+$670,083General fund revenue $24.9M, spending $25.4M. Spent $448,627 more than it took in before transfers. $1.1 million in transfers in from other funds, including reimbursed administrative costs, turned that into a $670,083 rise in the general fund balance. City of South El Monte · Jan 29, 2026

The city's own outlook

The city's five-year forecast shows general fund deficits of $2.3 million to $3.9 million a year from FY2027-28 through FY2030-31, mainly because sales tax revenue is expected to fall short while costs rise. On that path the general fund balance would drop to $6.1 million by June 2031. The FY2026-27 budget closes a smaller gap by cutting positions and using $148,677 of reserves. City of South El Monte · Jun 16, 2026

Savings against the city's own target

Unassigned general fund balance: $18M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: Keep unassigned general fund balance between 25% and 100% of general fund spending. The 25% minimum is about three months of operating costs (Resolution 20-44). City of South El Monte · Jan 29, 2026

Pension promises not yet funded$690,490Net pension liability for the city's CalPERS plans was $690,490, measured June 30, 2024. In July 2022 the city borrowed $9,815,000 to pay down its unfunded pension liability; that loan is counted under debt. (2024-06-30). City of South El Monte · Jan 29, 2026

Debt owed$10.1M2025-06-30. City of South El Monte · Jan 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

Sales tax$6.9M · 25%
Transaction tax (local sales tax)$6.2M · 22%
Property tax in lieu of vehicle license fees$3.9M · 14%
Licenses and permits (mostly building permits)$2.5M · 9%
Transfers in from other funds$2.3M · 8%
State and county funds (intergovernmental)$1.4M · 5%
Property tax$1.1M · 4%
Other (franchise fees, business license, hotel tax, interest, fees, fines)$3.6M · 13%
From reserves (fund balance)$148,677 · 1%

City of South El Monte · Jun 16, 2026

Goes to (FY2026-27)

Public safety (county sheriff contract and code enforcement)$7.2M · 26%
Public works$6.5M · 23%
Administration (council, manager, attorney, HR, IT)$4.1M · 15%
Community services$3.2M · 12%
Finance and treasurer$2.8M · 10%
Community and economic development (planning, building)$1.9M · 7%
Other (city clerk, recreation programs, economic development, facilities)$2.2M · 8%

City of South El Monte · Jun 16, 2026

Your property tax bill: who gets it

Of the 1% base levy, about 6.7 cents of each dollar goes to the city. The city has no voter-approved debt rate. The total adds every rate levied in the city, but each home is in only one elementary district and one college district, so a single bill is lower than 1.29932%.

5¢

of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of South El Monte

City of South El Monte (share of the 1% base levy)0.06667 · 5%
County, schools and other agencies (rest of the 1% base levy)0.93333 · 72%
El Monte City School District bonds0.09129 · 7%
Mountain View School District bonds0.09114 · 7%
El Monte Union High School District bonds0.06222 · 5%
Pasadena Community College District bonds0.02434 · 2%
Rio Hondo Community College District bonds0.02334 · 2%
Metropolitan Water District0.007 · <1%
Total (% of assessed value)1.29932

FY2024-25 property tax rates in the city of South El Monte (Los Angeles County). City of South El Monte · Jan 29, 2026

Who provides your services

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

PoliceThe countyLos Angeles County Sheriff's Department (Temple Station)Under contract; the sheriff serves as the city's chief of policeCity of South El Monte · Jan 29, 2026
FireThe countyLos Angeles CountyCity of South El Monte · Jan 29, 2026
Trash and recyclingContractorAthens ServicesCity of South El Monte
LibraryThe countyLA County Library (South El Monte Library)LA County Library
Parks and recreationThe cityCity of South El Monte Community ServicesCity of South El Monte · Jan 29, 2026
City streetsThe cityCity of South El Monte Public WorksCity of South El Monte · Jun 16, 2026
Building permits and code enforcementThe cityCity of South El Monte Community DevelopmentCity of South El Monte · Jan 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	PinoleCA	Hermosa BeachCA	Santa Fe SpringsCA	South El MonteCA
Residents	18,891	19,196	19,229	19,489
Top administrator's base pay	$305,000	$270,000	$359,100	$268,800
Council member pay	Not confirmed	$10,176	$12,233	Not confirmed
General fund per resident	$1,585	$3,120	$5,933	$1,439
Debt per resident	$1,545	$336	$2,186	$518
Unfunded pension per resident	$2,369	$3,191	$7,940	$35
City staff per 1,000 residents	6.1	7.7	12.5	5.2

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). Pinole and Hermosa Beach and Santa Fe Springs and South El Monte pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.

What South El Monte 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 South El Monte · Jun 16, 2026
Yes: City manager's contract findable online City of South El Monte · May 5, 2026
Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineMinutes list each member's vote, e.g. the 3-2 vote on the city manager's 2026 contract amendment. City of South El Monte · Jun 2, 2026
Yes: Meeting videos and minutes online City of South El Monte
Partly: Council pay stated in a public documentOrdinance 1259 (2022) and a car allowance notice are posted on the council page. The ordinance states monthly pay in words, not figures. City of South El Monte · Sep 13, 2022
Yes: Employee pay publishedThe city posts 2026-27 monthly salary ranges by job title and links to the State Controller's pay database. City of South El Monte

Questions to ask your council

The five-year forecast shows general fund deficits of $2.3 million to $3.9 million a year from FY2027-28, leaving a $6.1 million balance by June 2031. What changes will close that gap?
Sales tax ($6,940,081) and the local transaction tax ($6,160,000) are the two largest general fund revenues in FY2026-27. How would the budget change if sales keep falling?
The city manager's salary rose from $240,000 to $268,800 in May 2026, the same spring the FY2026-27 budget cut positions. How does the council weigh executive pay against service levels?
Unassigned general fund reserves were $18.0 million on June 30, 2025. How much of that does the council plan to use if the forecast deficits occur?

The fiscal year starts July 1. The city manager proposes a budget before June 30, and the council holds a public hearing before adopting it. This year the council held a budget study session June 2, 2026 and adopted the FY2026-27 budget June 16, 2026 (Resolution 26-047). See who is running for council

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