How Cocoa is run
Who runs Cocoa, 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 Cocoa's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Cocoa
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
- Expense allowance of $500 a month for the mayor and $400 a month for each council member (FY2027 budget)
- City medical and dental insurance are budgeted for the council
Cocoa city staff
449 full-time-equivalent positions, including Water utility 154, Police 92, Fire 43. FY2025. Full-time equivalent city employees, including 154 in the water utility. City of Cocoa · Jun 30, 2026
Florida has no statewide pay database. The city posts pay grades on its Pay Plans page and attached FY2027 pay ranges to the budget hearing packet. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Cocoa 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
Projections shown at the September 2026 budget hearings said keeping the 6.9532-mill rate would keep fund balance above target with no new debt. At the rolled-back rate of 6.8648, fund balance would fall below target by 2036 and debt would be issued for capital. The council adopted a final rate of 6.9090 mills. City of Cocoa · Sep 23, 2026
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $27.5M (2025-09-30). The city's own target: Keep a stabilization reserve of at least $9.5 million or 33% of the prior year's operating spending, whichever is greater, plus a capital replacement reserve of at least 5% of prior-year capital spending. Both are held as committed fund balance ($15.2 million), separate from the unassigned balance. City of Cocoa · Jun 30, 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
- Taxes (property, utility and communications)$18M · 31%
- Water and sewer utility contributions (return on investment and 6% PILOFF)$11.2M · 19%
- Transfers from other funds (mostly utility overhead charges)$9.5M · 16%
- Charges for services$8.6M · 15%
- Permits, franchise fees and fire assessment$7.4M · 13%
- Intergovernmental revenue$3.2M · 5%
- Other$697,378 · 1%
Goes to (FY2026-27 (tentative))
- Police$13.6M · 23%
- Public Works$13.2M · 23%
- Fire$9.8M · 17%
- General Operations$7.9M · 14%
- Finance$4.8M · 8%
- Information Technology$4.3M · 7%
- Other$4.9M · 8%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Of each property-tax dollar a Cocoa homeowner paid in FY2024-25, about 40 cents went to the city. The city kept 6.9532 mills for FY2025-26 and adopted 6.9090 mills for FY2026-27.
40¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Cocoa
- City of Cocoa6.9532 · 40%
- Brevard County Public Schools6.311 · 36%
- Brevard County3.9461 · 23%
- Independent special districts0.2081 · 1%
- Total (mills)17.4184
FY2024-25 rates for a home in the city of Cocoa (Brevard County). City of Cocoa · Jun 30, 2026
See what a Cocoa house pays, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Cocoa is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityCity of Cocoa Police DepartmentCity of Cocoa · Jun 30, 2026
- WaterThe cityCity of Cocoa water utilityRegional system; sole supplier to central Brevard County, including Rockledge, Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral.City of Cocoa · Jun 30, 2026
- SewerThe cityCity of Cocoa wastewater utilityCity of Cocoa · Jun 30, 2026
- StormwaterThe cityCity of Cocoa stormwater utilityCity of Cocoa · Jun 30, 2026
- Streets and sidewalksThe cityCity of CocoaCity of Cocoa · Jun 30, 2026
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of CocoaCity of Cocoa · Jun 30, 2026
- Trash and recycling collectionContractorWaste Management, Inc.Competitively bid private contract.City of Cocoa
- LandfillThe countyBrevard CountyCity of Cocoa
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 | MinneolaFL | CocoaFL | Fort Walton BeachFL | TavaresFL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 21,201 | 21,518 | 21,553 | 21,869 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | $196,227 | $220,000 | $265,385 |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $1,722 | $2,721 | $1,578 | $1,486 |
| Debt per resident | $405 | $4,086 | $1,351 | $2,531 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $271 | $508 | $611 | $613 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | — | 20.9 | 14.7 | 11.2 |
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). Minneola and Tavares pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Cocoa 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 time Florida Auditor General
- Yes: Adopted budget posted online City of Cocoa
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineWe found no employment agreement on the City Manager page, the budget page or the council's CivicClerk agenda portal. City of Cocoa
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineMinutes list each member's vote by name, e.g. the June 9, 2026 regular meeting. City of Cocoa
- Partly: Council pay stated in a public documentThe budget shows $30,600 in combined executive salaries for the mayor and four council members, but not each person's pay. City of Cocoa · Sep 24, 2026
- Yes: Employee pay publishedPay grades are posted on the Pay Plans page, and FY2027 pay ranges for each position were attached to the final budget. City of Cocoa
Questions to ask your council
- The general fund took in $38.9 million in FY2025 and spent $45.8 million before transfers, relying on about $10.0 million in transfers from other funds. How dependent is the general fund on the water and sewer utility?
- Unassigned general fund balance was $27.5 million on Sept. 30, 2025, on top of $15.2 million in committed reserves. What is the plan for the money above the reserve policy?
- The firefighters' pension plan was 80.82% funded on Sept. 30, 2025, with a $7.4 million shortfall. When is it expected to be fully funded?
- The city's own projections say fund balance falls below target by 2036 at the rolled-back rate. The council adopted 6.9090 mills for FY2026-27. What does the forecast show at that rate?
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