How South Lake Tahoe is run
Who runs South Lake Tahoe, 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 Lake Tahoe's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs South Lake Tahoe
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
- Up to $4,000 a year in matching 457 contributions
- Vehicle allowance of $350 a month
- 304 hours of paid time off and 100 hours of administrative leave a year
- CalPERS pension (classic member)
- Severance of up to six months' base salary plus the city's medical contribution
South Lake Tahoe city staff
234 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police 76, Fire 43, All other departments 115. FY2026-27. City of South Lake Tahoe · Aug 25, 2026
The city's position list gives budgeted positions by department, and council packets carry salary tables. We did not add totals from the State Controller's pay database. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is South Lake Tahoe 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: $29.2M (2025-09-30). The city's own target: Keep an unassigned general fund reserve of at least 25% of general fund operating expenditures. Any use must be replaced in the next year's budget. Money above the 25% may go to capital projects after the annual audit. The city meets this target. City of South Lake Tahoe · Mar 24, 2026
Bar: unassigned savings of $29.2M. Line: the amount the city's target calls for.
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$13.7M · 19%
- Hotel and vacation rental tax (TOT), citywide$12.4M · 17%
- Hotel tax (TOT), former redevelopment project area$8.2M · 12%
- Sales tax$7.8M · 11%
- Transfers in (incl. $1.9M from Measure S)$5M · 7%
- Measure Q sales tax$4.2M · 6%
- Motor vehicle license fees$3.3M · 5%
- Franchise fees$2.4M · 3%
- Other (business license tax, recreation and permit fees, police revenue, interest, other)$14.4M · 20%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$17.3M · 24%
- Fire$13.6M · 19%
- General government (council, clerk, manager, attorney, treasurer, sustainability)$7.9M · 11%
- Parks and recreation$7.3M · 10%
- Transfers out$6.8M · 10%
- Public works$6.6M · 9%
- Non-departmental$5.8M · 8%
- Other (finance and IT, development services)$5.9M · 8%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Rates per $100 of assessed value from the city's audited rate table. California cities do not set their own rate: the state constitution caps the base levy at 1%, split among local agencies by formula. Voter-approved school and college bond rates come on top.
0¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of South Lake Tahoe
- 1% base levy, shared among the city, El Dorado County, schools and local districts1 · 95%
- Lake Tahoe Unified School District bonds0.0434 · 4%
- Lake Tahoe Community College District bonds0.0145 · 1%
- Total (% of assessed value)1.0579
FY2024-25 rates for a home in South Lake Tahoe (El Dorado County). City of South Lake Tahoe · Mar 24, 2026
Who provides your services
Not everything in South Lake Tahoe is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe citySouth Lake Tahoe Police DepartmentCity of South Lake Tahoe · Aug 26, 2025
- FireThe citySouth Lake Tahoe Fire RescueThree fire stations.City of South Lake Tahoe · Aug 26, 2025
- Snow removal and street maintenanceThe cityCity of South Lake TahoeCity of South Lake Tahoe · Mar 24, 2026
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of South Lake TahoeCity of South Lake Tahoe · Mar 24, 2026
- AirportThe cityCity of South Lake Tahoe (Lake Tahoe Airport)City of South Lake Tahoe · Mar 24, 2026
- Trash and recyclingContractorSouth Tahoe Refuse (city franchise)City of South Lake Tahoe · Aug 26, 2025
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 | GreenfieldCA | South Lake TahoeCA | Yucca ValleyCA | CudahyCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 20,918 | 21,472 | 21,798 | 22,234 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $267,093 | $265,000 | $279,774 | $245,000 |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | $16,734 | Not confirmed | $14,798 |
| General fund per resident | $1,018 | $3,320 | $1,032 | $657 |
| Debt per resident | $304 | $3,466 | $828 | $229 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $350 | $3,973 | $272 | $195 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 5.8 | 10.9 | 2.3 | — |
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). Yucca Valley and Cudahy pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What South Lake Tahoe publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Partly: Adopted budget posted online City of South Lake Tahoe
- Yes: City manager's contract findable online City of South Lake Tahoe · Aug 11, 2026
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member online City of South Lake Tahoe · Aug 25, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineAgendas, packets, minutes and meeting videos are posted on the city's Granicus portal. City of South Lake Tahoe
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public document City of South Lake Tahoe · Oct 6, 2026
- Partly: Employee pay published City of South Lake Tahoe · Aug 11, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The FY2026-27 budget funds 234 positions, the most in the city's history. Which positions would the city freeze first if hotel tax revenue fell?
- Hotel and vacation rental taxes are budgeted at $12.4 million citywide plus $8.2 million from the former redevelopment project area in FY2026-27. How would a weak winter season change the five-year plan?
- The city's CalPERS plans were $85.3 million underfunded at June 30, 2025. How much of the expected savings in pension payments will go toward paying down that liability faster?
- Unassigned general fund reserves were $29.2 million on September 30, 2025, against a 25% reserve requirement of $16.3 million. What is the plan for the balance above the requirement?
The fiscal year starts October 1. The finance department updates the five-year financial plan for the council's mid-year budget review in March and again for budget adoption in August. The FY2026-27 budget was presented at a council budget workshop and adopted the same day, August 25, 2026. The next five-year plan update is due in March 2027. See who is running for council
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