How DeBary is run
Who runs DeBary, 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 DeBary's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Who runs DeBary
A city manager hired by the council runs the city day to day and hires the department heads. The council of five, including the mayor, passes ordinances and resolutions, adopts the budget and hires the city manager and city attorney.
What they are paid
- $6,000 a year car allowance
- City pays his Florida City and County Management Association dues
- Council travel budget: $8,000 (FY2027)
- Council phone budget: $7,000 (FY2027)
DeBary city staff
52 full-time-equivalent positions. FY2026-27. City of DeBary · Sep 23, 2026
The adopted budget lists the annual pay rate for every city position. Florida has no statewide pay database. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is DeBary 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: $11.9M (2025-09-30). The city's own target: Keep general fund reserves of at least 150 days of total yearly spending. Recurring revenue should pay for recurring costs; savings are for one-time costs, capital projects or emergencies. At Sept. 30, 2025 the unassigned balance covered 227 days. The city meets this target. City of DeBary · Feb 25, 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
- Property taxes$12.3M · 49%
- Utility taxes (electric, propane)$2.1M · 9%
- Permits and fees (mostly building permits)$1.6M · 6%
- Half-cent sales tax$1.5M · 6%
- Transfers in (mostly franchise fees)$1.3M · 5%
- State grant for parks$1.3M · 5%
- Other (state revenue sharing, communications tax, gas tax, interest, fees)$3.3M · 13%
- From money carried forward$1.6M · 7%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Law enforcement (Volusia Sheriff's Office contract)$5.1M · 20%
- Parks and recreation$4.9M · 20%
- Fire (City of Orange City contract)$4.6M · 18%
- Planning, building and code compliance$2.3M · 9%
- Public works$2M · 8%
- City manager's office and communications$1.5M · 6%
- Transfer to stormwater fund$1.3M · 5%
- Other (council, finance, legal, IT, engineering, general government, health)$3.3M · 13%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Of each property-tax dollar a DeBary homeowner pays, about 23 cents goes to the city. The council adopted 3.6500 mills as its final rate on Sept. 23, 2026. Other rates shown are the proposed rates on the August notices.
23¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of DeBary
- Volusia County Schools5.243 · 34%
- City of DeBary3.65 · 23%
- Volusia County general fund3.2007 · 20%
- Volusia County law enforcement fund1.5994 · 10%
- Hospital authority0.9575 · 6%
- Volusia County voter-approved debt0.4 · 3%
- Volusia County library0.3697 · 2%
- St. Johns River Water Management District0.1793 · 1%
- Florida Inland Navigation District0.027 · <1%
- Total (mills)15.6266
2026 tax year (FY2026-27) proposed rates for a home in DeBary (Volusia County). Volusia County Property Appraiser · Aug 1, 2026
See what a DeBary home costs each year, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in DeBary is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceContractorVolusia Sheriff's Office (city contract)City of DeBary · Feb 25, 2026
- FireAnother agencyCity of Orange City (city contract)City of DeBary · Feb 25, 2026
- StormwaterThe cityCity of DeBaryCity of DeBary · Feb 25, 2026
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of DeBaryCity of DeBary · Feb 25, 2026
- Animal controlAnother agencyCity of Orange City (city contract)City of DeBary · Sep 23, 2026
- Mosquito controlThe countyVolusia County Mosquito ControlCity of DeBary · Sep 23, 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 | GrovelandFL | DebaryFL | Palmetto BayFL | EdgewaterFL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 23,827 | 24,529 | 25,217 | 25,655 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $210,000 | $235,108 | Not current (2020) | $185,000 |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | $9,849 | $12,000 | $18,000 |
| General fund per resident | $1,432 | $1,021 | $979 | $1,654 |
| Debt per resident | $1,669 | $88 | $330 | $1,246 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $431 | $0 | $0 | $302 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | — | 2.1 | 2.5 | 9.0 |
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). Debary and Palmetto Bay pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What DeBary 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 DeBary · Sep 23, 2026
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineWe did not find the employment agreement on the city manager's page or in recent agenda packets. The budget states his pay rate. City of DeBary
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes online City of DeBary
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe adopted budget lists the annual rate for the mayor ($12,122) and each council member ($9,849). City of DeBary · Sep 23, 2026
- Yes: Employee pay publishedThe adopted budget lists the annual pay rate, benefits and total cost of each city position. City of DeBary · Sep 23, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- Unassigned general fund reserves were $11.9 million on Sept. 30, 2025, 227 days of spending against a 150-day goal. What does the council plan to do with the amount above the goal?
- Fire service, mostly the City of Orange City contract, is budgeted at $4.6 million in FY2026-27. How is the contract price set, and how does the council review it?
- Voters decide on Nov. 3, 2026 whether to allow a land bank tax of 0.20 to 0.50 mill. How would the council use it alongside the 3.6500 mill operating rate?
The fiscal year starts Oct. 1. Departments send requests to the city manager by the end of April. The council set the proposed tax rate on July 15, 2026, discussed the budget on Aug. 19, held the first hearing Sept. 9 and adopted the FY2027 budget and 3.6500 mill rate on Sept. 23, 2026. See who is running for council
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