How Aventura is run
Who runs Aventura, 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 Aventura's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Aventura
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 18% of base salary into a 401 retirement plan
- City pays the maximum yearly 457 deferred compensation
- City vehicle for exclusive use, plus phone and laptop
- City health coverage continues after separation until age 65
- 16 weeks' severance if terminated, except for misconduct; the commission may raise it to 20 weeks after one year
- Four months' notice required to resign
Aventura city staff
202 full-time-equivalent positions, including General employees 112, Police union (PBA) positions 90. FY2026-27. Includes 198 full-time positions, two fewer than the year before. City of Aventura · Sep 4, 2026
The budget lists positions by department, not individual pay. Florida has no statewide public pay database. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Aventura 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: $61.3M (2025-09-30). The city's own target: Unassigned general fund balance must be at least 10% of yearly general fund revenue. If it falls below, it cannot be used to balance the budget. The city meets this target. City of Aventura · Mar 31, 2026
Bar: unassigned savings of $61.3M. 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$24M · 42%
- Utility and other local taxes$11.5M · 20%
- Charges for services$5.6M · 10%
- Franchise fees$5.3M · 9%
- Intergovernmental (state shared revenue)$5.1M · 9%
- Fines and forfeitures$2.9M · 5%
- Other (investment income, transfers in, miscellaneous, permits)$2.4M · 4%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$28.7M · 50%
- Community services$5.9M · 10%
- Capital outlay$5.6M · 10%
- Public works and transportation$3M · 5%
- Non-departmental$2.4M · 4%
- Transfers out$2M · 4%
- Other (general government, arts center, community development, debt service)$9.3M · 16%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Of each property-tax dollar an Aventura homeowner pays, about 10 cents goes to the city. The city kept its rate at 1.7261 mills for FY2026-27.
10¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Aventura
- Miami-Dade County School BoardOperating 5.4990, voter-approved operating 1.0000, debt 0.13406.633 · 40%
- Miami-Dade CountyOperating 4.5740 plus debt 0.41714.9911 · 30%
- Miami-Dade Fire Rescue district2.3965 · 14%
- City of Aventura1.7261 · 10%
- The Children's Trust0.4638 · 3%
- Miami-Dade library district0.2812 · 2%
- South Florida Water Management District (incl. Everglades and Okeechobee Basin levies)0.2301 · 1%
- Florida Inland Navigation District0.027 · <1%
- Total (mills)16.7488
2025 tax year (FY2025-26) rates for a home in the City of Aventura (Miami-Dade County). Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser
See what a Aventura home costs each year, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Aventura is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- 911 dispatchThe cityAventura Police DepartmentCity of Aventura · Mar 31, 2026
- Fire rescueThe countyMiami-Dade County Fire RescueCity of Aventura
- LibraryThe countyMiami-Dade CountyCity of Aventura
- Trash collectionPrivate companyPrivate haulers under city franchiseCity of Aventura
- Park, right-of-way and landscape maintenanceContractorPrivate contractors hired by the cityCity of Aventura
- Recreation and athletic programs, special eventsContractorPrivate contractors hired by the cityCity of Aventura
- Building inspection and plan reviewContractorPrivate contractors hired by the cityCity of Aventura
- Stormwater drainageThe cityCity Stormwater Utility FundCity of Aventura · Sep 4, 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 | LeesburgFL | Winter SpringsFL | AventuraFL | Hallandale BeachFL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 37,541 | 39,170 | 40,171 | 41,819 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $261,706 | $225,000 | $237,500 | Not current (2021) |
| Council member pay | $14,229 | Not confirmed | $7,500 | $48,001 |
| General fund per resident | $1,165 | $689 | $1,416 | $3,104 |
| Debt per resident | $3,370 | $522 | $274 | $3,062 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $149 | $-107 | $308 | $1,399 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 14.9 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 11.8 |
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). Aventura pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Aventura publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Audited financial report filed on timeThe FY2025 audit report is dated March 31, 2026, and is posted on the Florida Auditor General site. Florida Auditor General
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineThe Archive Center posts the FY2026-27 Operating and Capital Budget and past budgets. City of Aventura
- Yes: City manager's contract findable onlineThe 2024 employment agreement is attached to the July 2, 2024 commission agenda in the Agenda Center. City of Aventura · Jul 2, 2024
- No: Council votes recorded member by member onlineMinutes say motions passed unanimously by roll call without listing each member's vote. Recent meeting recaps list only the action taken. City of Aventura
- Partly: Council pay stated in a public documentThe charter sets the salaries. The budget shows a $55,000 total for the mayor and commission, not pay per member. City of Aventura · Sep 4, 2026
- No: Employee pay publishedThe Financial Transparency page links budgets and an OpenGov spending tool, with no employee salary report. City of Aventura
Questions to ask your council
- Unassigned general fund reserves were $61.3 million on September 30, 2025, about 11 times the 10% minimum of $5.6 million. What is that balance for?
- The city kept its tax rate at 1.7261 mills for FY2026-27. What services would change if the November 2026 property tax measure passes?
- Police make up $28.7 million of the $56.9 million FY2026-27 general fund budget. How does the city measure what that spending delivers?
- The police pension plan was 86.72% funded with $12.4 million unfunded. What is the plan to close that gap?
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