How Ukiah is run
Who runs Ukiah, 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 Ukiah's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Ukiah
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
- Same benefits as the city's department heads
- Nine months' base salary as severance if terminated without cause
- Base salary must stay at least 10% above any other department head or employee
- Open-ended agreement that runs until either side ends it
- Can join city group health, dental and vision plans
- A monthly health contribution equal to the employee-only premium, $1,438 a month in FY2026-27
- Can choose Social Security or CalPERS retirement
Ukiah city staff
323 full-time-equivalent positions. FY2024-25. The audited report says the city employs approximately 323 full-time equivalent positions. City of Ukiah · Dec 29, 2025
The city posts salary schedules for each bargaining unit, with pay ranges by job. We found no city list of pay by employee. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Ukiah 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 adopted FY2026-27 budget projects the general fund ending the year $10,180 higher, at about $10.0 million. Staff called it one of the more difficult budgets in recent years, with slowing growth in sales and property taxes while costs keep rising. City of Ukiah · Jun 17, 2026
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $7.2M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: Keep unassigned general fund balance, including the strategic reserve, of at least 25% of general fund operating expenditures, about three months of spending. City of Ukiah · Dec 29, 2025
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 FY2024-25.
Goes to (FY2024-25)
- Public safety (police and fire)$18.2M · 52%
- Recreation and culture$5.1M · 15%
- Transfers out to other funds$2.8M · 8%
- Capital outlay$2.1M · 6%
- Parks, buildings and grounds$2M · 6%
- Housing and community development$1.7M · 5%
- Debt service and leases$1.6M · 5%
- Other (public works, general government, economic development)$1.5M · 4%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Ukiah is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityUkiah Police DepartmentCity of Ukiah · Dec 29, 2025
- ElectricityThe cityCity of Ukiah Electric UtilityOne of the few remaining publicly owned electric systems in California.City of Ukiah · Dec 29, 2025
- WaterThe cityCity of Ukiah Water ResourcesCity of Ukiah · Dec 29, 2025
- SewerThe cityCity of Ukiah Water ResourcesCity of Ukiah · Dec 29, 2025
- Trash and recyclingContractorUkiah Waste SolutionsFranchise agreement from Oct. 7, 2017 to Dec. 31, 2031.City of Ukiah
- StreetsThe cityCity of Ukiah Public WorksCity of Ukiah · Dec 29, 2025
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of Ukiah Community ServicesCity of Ukiah · Dec 29, 2025
- AirportThe cityCity of Ukiah AirportCity of Ukiah · Dec 29, 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 | RiponCA | BlytheCA | UkiahCA | ArtesiaCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 15,873 | 15,878 | 16,138 | 16,205 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $272,873 | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | $3,600 | $10,200 | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $1,180 | $1,174 | $2,221 | $1,255 |
| Debt per resident | $307 | $630 | $8,424 | $0 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $392 | $1,521 | $1,144 | $292 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 6.9 | 4.5 | 20.0 | 3.3 |
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). Ripon and Artesia pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Ukiah 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 is posted as an online OpenGov budget book; the adopted resolution is in the June 17, 2026 packet. City of Ukiah · Jun 17, 2026
- Partly: City manager's contract findable online City of Ukiah · Jun 3, 2015
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineCouncil minutes list each roll call vote by name, with ayes, noes and absences. City of Ukiah · Jun 17, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes online City of Ukiah
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe councilmember job description states $850 a month, rising to $892.50 after the November 2026 election. City of Ukiah · Jul 14, 2026
- Partly: Employee pay published City of Ukiah · Oct 6, 2025
Questions to ask your council
- The policy calls for unassigned reserves of at least 25% of general fund operating spending. Unassigned reserves were $7.2 million on June 30, 2025, when the general fund spent $32.3 million. Does the city meet its own target?
- The city still owes $45.3 million on its 2020 CalPERS lease revenue bonds, and the remaining net pension liability is $18.5 million. How will the $4.4 million pension reserve be used?
- In FY2024-25 the general fund balance fell $861,055 after $2.8 million of transfers to other funds. Which funds receive general fund transfers in FY2026-27, and for how long?
- Council pay rises from $850 to $892.50 a month after the November 2026 election. How was the new amount set?
The fiscal year starts July 1. The council reviewed the draft FY2026-27 budget on June 1 and June 2, 2026, and adopted it on June 17, 2026. See who is running for council
Help decide what comes next
What do you want to know about Ukiah 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.