How Coral Gables is run
Who runs Coral Gables, 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 Coral Gables's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Coral Gables
A city manager appointed by the commission runs the city day to day as its chief administrator. The five-member commission, including the mayor, sets policy and adopts the budget. It also appoints the city attorney and city clerk.
What they are paid
- City pays 25% of his base salary into a 401(a) or 457 plan instead of the city pension
- Monthly car allowance equal to the highest paid to any city appointed official or employee
- City-paid health, dental and vision insurance for him and his family
- Can sell back up to 120 hours of annual leave a year; sick leave paid out in full when he leaves
- City-paid life insurance equal to two years' base salary
- Serves at the will of the commission
Coral Gables city staff
956 full-time-equivalent positions, including General employees 592, Police officers 209, Firefighters 155. FY2026-27. Full-time positions in the FY2027 budget, not counting part-time staff. City of Coral Gables · Sep 29, 2026
Florida has no statewide pay database. The budget lists budgeted salaries by job title in each department, but not pay for named employees other than officials. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Coral Gables 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
Unassigned general fund balance: $64.1M (2025-09-30). City of Coral Gables · 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 (budget estimate).
Comes from
- Property taxes$146M · 58%
- Permit fees (mostly building permits)$15.7M · 6%
- Utility service taxes$13.8M · 5%
- Payments from other city funds (mostly parking)$12.5M · 5%
- Use of reserves$11.4M · 4%
- Franchise fees$10.7M · 4%
- State and county shared revenue$7.6M · 3%
- Trash collection fees$6.8M · 3%
- Other (business taxes, rents, fees, interest, fines)$29.5M · 12%
Goes to (FY2026-27 (budget estimate))
- Police$65.4M · 26%
- Fire and EMS$40.4M · 16%
- Public works (incl. trash collection and tree care)$35.4M · 14%
- Transfer to capital projects$24.8M · 10%
- Development services (building, planning, code)$18.6M · 7%
- Innovation and technology$12.3M · 5%
- Parks and recreation$12.2M · 5%
- Transfer for debt payments$7.9M · 3%
- Other (attorney, clerk, finance, manager's office, trolley, pool and country club support, non-departmental)$37.4M · 15%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Of each property-tax dollar a Coral Gables homeowner pays, about 31 cents goes to the city. The city runs its own fire department, so there is no county fire district levy. For FY2027 the city proposed keeping its rate at 5.559 mills.
31¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Coral Gables
- Miami-Dade County School BoardOperating 5.4990, voter-approved operating 1.0000, debt 0.13406.633 · 36%
- City of Coral Gables5.559 · 31%
- Miami-Dade CountyOperating 4.5740 plus debt 0.41714.9911 · 27%
- 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)18.1852
2025 tax year (FY2025-26) rates for a home in the City of Coral Gables (Miami-Dade County). Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser
See what a Coral Gables home costs each year, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Coral Gables is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityCoral Gables Police DepartmentCity of Coral Gables · Jul 1, 2026
- Fire and EMSThe cityCoral Gables Fire DepartmentFour fire stations; includes emergency medical transportCity of Coral Gables · Jul 1, 2026
- 911 dispatchThe cityCoral Gables Police Department, Technical Services DivisionCity of Coral Gables · Jul 1, 2026
- SewerThe cityCity of Coral Gables Sanitary Sewer SystemServes certain residents, the University of Miami and some nearby areasCity of Coral Gables · Jun 30, 2026
- StormwaterThe cityCity of Coral Gables Stormwater UtilityCity of Coral Gables · Jun 30, 2026
- Trash and recyclingThe cityCoral Gables Public Works, Solid Waste DivisionServes about 11,000 single-family homes; a contractor serves commercial and multi-family buildingsCity of Coral Gables · Jul 1, 2026
- Streets and sidewalksThe cityCoral Gables Public Works, Right-of-Way Maintenance DivisionCity of Coral Gables · Jul 1, 2026
- Parks and recreationThe cityCoral Gables Community Recreation DepartmentIncludes the Venetian Pool, War Memorial Youth Center and Granada Golf CourseCity of Coral Gables · Jul 1, 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 | Altamonte SpringsFL | Coral GablesFL | ClermontFL | TitusvilleFL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 47,609 | 50,853 | 51,042 | 51,158 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | $316,011 | $192,004 | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | $40,794 | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $1,177 | $5,004 | $1,397 | $1,263 |
| Debt per resident | $0 | $1,958 | $1,144 | $445 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $44 | $2,680 | $-182 | $286 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 9.6 | 18.8 | 9.1 | 11.7 |
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).
What Coral Gables 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 June 30, 2026. It is posted on the city's finance page and the Florida Auditor General site. Florida Auditor General
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineThe signed FY2027 budget ordinance, the July budget estimate and both hearing presentations are posted on the city's budget page. City of Coral Gables
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineSigned ordinances list each member's vote, e.g. the 4-1 vote adopting the FY2027 budget on Sept. 29, 2026, with Castro voting no. City of Coral Gables · Sep 29, 2026
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe budget's personnel schedule lists the mayor's, vice mayor's and commissioners' salaries. City of Coral Gables · Jul 1, 2026
- Partly: Employee pay publishedThe budget lists budgeted salaries by job title in each department. We found no list of pay for named employees. City of Coral Gables · Jul 1, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The pension plan was 78.83% funded with a $136.3 million shortfall on Sept. 30, 2024. When does the city expect to reach full funding with its extra payments?
- Police and fire cost $65.4 million and $40.4 million of the $254.5 million general fund estimate. How will new union contracts change those costs?
The fiscal year starts Oct. 1. The manager submitted the FY2027 budget estimate on July 1, 2026 and presented it on July 8. Budget hearings were Sept. 15 and Sept. 29, 2026, when the commission adopted the budget 4-1. See who is running for council
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