How Windsor is run
Who runs Windsor, 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 Windsor's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Windsor
A town manager appointed by the town council runs the town day to day. The five-member council sets policy and also serves as the board of the Town of Windsor Water District.
What they are paid
- Six months' base salary as severance if terminated without cause
- $500 a month car allowance and a $65 a month phone stipend
- 200 hours of vacation and 80 hours of management leave a year
- Same medical, dental, vision and life coverage as the town's executive managers
- Five-year contract term starting Aug. 15, 2022
Windsor city staff
The town posts a salary schedule by job title. Police work is done by Sonoma County Sheriff's deputies under contract, not town employees. We found no town list of pay by employee and no total staff count in the budget. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Windsor 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 FY2026-27 budget the council adopted on June 3, 2026 lowers general fund balance by $3,419,611. The town projects yearly general fund shortfalls of $4 million to $5 million from FY2027-29 without new revenue, which it says would use up remaining reserves by FY2029. A 1% local sales tax, Measure I, is on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot. Town of Windsor
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $15.2M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: The council's fiscal management policy sets a minimum general fund balance of 25% of yearly spending and transfers out. The city meets this target. Town of Windsor · Feb 4, 2026
Bar: unassigned savings of $15.2M. 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 tax (incl. vehicle license fee swap)$11M · 40%
- Sales tax$5.5M · 20%
- Hotel tax (transient occupancy)$2.8M · 10%
- Other taxes$2.1M · 8%
- Licenses, permits and fees$1.5M · 6%
- Charges for services$501,895 · 2%
- Other (interest, grants, rent, other)$715,600 · 3%
- From reserves (fund balance)$3.4M · 12%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police (Sonoma County Sheriff contract)$10.4M · 38%
- Transfers out to other funds$2.7M · 10%
- Administrative services$2.2M · 8%
- Engineering$2.1M · 8%
- Recreation$1.9M · 7%
- Building$1.5M · 5%
- Planning$1.4M · 5%
- Other (council, manager, clerk, HR, non-departmental, economic development, facilities, streets, senior center, parks, animal control, capital)$5.4M · 19%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Windsor is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe countySonoma County Sheriff's OfficeUnder contract with the town since July 1, 2008.Town of Windsor · Jun 18, 2025
- WaterThe cityTown of Windsor Water District (governed by the town council)Town of Windsor · Jun 18, 2025
- Sewer (wastewater)The cityTown of Windsor water reclamationTown of Windsor · Jun 18, 2025
- Trash and recyclingPrivate companySonoma County Resource RecoveryTown of Windsor
- RecreationThe cityTown of Windsor Parks and RecreationTown of Windsor · Jun 18, 2025
- StreetsThe cityTown of Windsor Public WorksTown of Windsor · Jun 18, 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 | WindsorCA | Imperial BeachCA | BeniciaCA | EurekaCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 25,498 | 26,066 | 26,074 | 26,163 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not current (2022) | $262,668 | $242,534 | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | $11,400 | Not confirmed | $6,000 |
| General fund per resident | $1,077 | $1,231 | $2,603 | $1,703 |
| Debt per resident | $577 | $19 | $831 | $885 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $610 | $495 | $3,547 | $2,502 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | — | 4.8 | 8.4 | 10.1 |
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). Windsor and Imperial Beach pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Windsor publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted online Town of Windsor
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineCouncil minutes list each member's roll call vote by name, as for the June 3, 2026 vote adopting the FY2026-27 budget. Town of Windsor · Jun 3, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineAgendas, minutes and video of council meetings are posted on the town's Granicus archive. Town of Windsor
- No: Council pay stated in a public documentWe found no readable ordinance or budget page stating each member's pay; the budget shows only total council salaries. Town of Windsor · Jun 18, 2025
- Partly: Employee pay publishedThe town posts a monthly salary schedule by job title for FY2026-27. Town of Windsor · Jul 1, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The re-adopted FY2026-27 budget uses $3,419,611 of general fund balance. Which services change if Measure I does not pass on Nov. 3, 2026?
- The Sonoma County Sheriff contract costs $10.4 million in FY2026-27, the largest general fund line. How will the town hold that cost if revenue stays flat?
- The general fund had $15,155,542 unassigned on June 30, 2025, and the FY2026-27 budget uses $3,419,611 of fund balance. How long will reserves last at that pace?
- The town manager's 2022 contract runs five years from Aug. 15, 2022. When will the council take up its renewal?
The fiscal year runs July 1 to June 30. Windsor adopts a two-year budget; the FY2025-27 adopted budget covers July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2027. On June 3, 2026 the council received a mid-year financial update, adopted the FY2026-27 budget resolution, and heard a planning framework for the FY2027-29 budget. See who is running for council
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