How Hollywood is run
Who runs Hollywood, 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 Hollywood's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Who runs Hollywood
A city manager appointed by the commission runs the city day to day and appoints department directors. The seven-member commission, including the mayor, adopts laws and policies, approves the budget, levies taxes and sets fees.
What they are paid
- 20 weeks' base salary as severance if fired, plus all accrued sick, vacation and holiday leave
- City pays the IRS maximum into a 457 deferred compensation plan, or the same amount as taxable cash
- Car allowance and cell phone stipend on the same terms as other senior executives
- City-paid life insurance with a $250,000 to $500,000 death benefit; premium $5,300 a year, rising 2% a year
- Medical and dental coverage for her and her family, with premiums paid by the city after she leaves
- Member of the city's Employees' Retirement Plan
- After eight years on the commission, may keep city medical coverage for self and dependents at active-employee cost after leaving
- May receive extra pay for serving on boards and committees as city representatives
Hollywood city staff
1,476 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police (352 officers, 112 civilians) 464, Fire rescue and beach safety 327. FY2024-25. City of Hollywood · May 6, 2026
Florida has no statewide pay database, and we found no city-published list of pay by position. The budget shows pay totals by department; the city manager's contract is posted with commission agendas. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Hollywood 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 audited report says taxable value growth is slowing (7.86% for FY2026, after 9.61%, 11.18% and 11.56%) and that state property tax reform bills could reduce the city's local revenue. The report says the budget office prepares multi-year forecasts; we found no published forecast figures. City of Hollywood · May 6, 2026
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $102M (2025-09-30). The city's own target: Keep a minimum unassigned general fund balance of 17% of general fund expenditures, about two months of operations, and keep a 5% disaster reserve within the unassigned balance. The city reported $63.1M of its unassigned balance reserved for these at Sept. 30, 2025. The city meets this target. City of Hollywood · May 6, 2026
Bar: unassigned savings of $102M. 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$203M · 46%
- Fund balance carried as a reserve$56.6M · 13%
- User charges and fees (incl. $34.7M fire rescue assessment)$54.9M · 13%
- Reimbursements and service charges from other funds$33.2M · 8%
- Utility service and communications taxes$26.5M · 6%
- Intergovernmental (mostly state shared revenue)$21.8M · 5%
- Franchise fees$18.4M · 4%
- Other (transfers in, interest, fines, permits)$22.2M · 5%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$133M · 30%
- Fire rescue and beach safety$92.2M · 21%
- Non-departmental (incl. $56.6M fund balance reserve)$68.5M · 16%
- Transfers (incl. $29.3M Beach CRA tax increment, capital and equipment)$47M · 11%
- Commission, manager, attorney, clerk and other offices$29.5M · 7%
- Public works$23.7M · 5%
- Parks and recreation$18.9M · 4%
- Other (finance, development services, design and construction, debt service, retiree)$23.6M · 5%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Of each property-tax dollar a Hollywood homeowner pays, about 38 cents goes to the city. Part of Hollywood lies in the North Broward Hospital District instead, which levies 1.2391 mills, for a total of 21.9985.
38¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Hollywood
- City of Hollywood (operating)7.4293 · 36%
- Broward County School Board (operating)6.294 · 30%
- Broward County5.6628 · 27%
- City of Hollywood (voter-approved debt)0.5075 · 2%
- Children's Services Council0.45 · 2%
- South Florida Water Management District0.2301 · 1%
- Broward County School Board (voter-approved debt)0.1587 · <1%
- South Broward Hospital District0.0805 · <1%
- Florida Inland Navigation District0.027 · <1%
- Total (mills)20.8399
2026 tax year (FY2026-27) rates for a home in the City of Hollywood, south hospital district (Broward County). Broward County Property Appraiser · Oct 1, 2026
See what a Hollywood house pays, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Hollywood is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityHollywood Police DepartmentCity of Hollywood · May 6, 2026
- Fire and EMSThe cityHollywood Fire RescueThe city bills for EMS transportCity of Hollywood · May 6, 2026
- Beach safetyThe cityHollywood Fire Rescue, Beach Safety divisionCity of Hollywood · May 6, 2026
- Water and sewerThe cityCity of Hollywood Public UtilitiesThe city's regional wastewater plant also serves six other jurisdictions in southern Broward CountyCity of Hollywood · May 6, 2026
- StormwaterThe cityCity of HollywoodCity of Hollywood · May 6, 2026
- Trash and recyclingContractorWaste Pro of Florida, under contract with the cityCity of Hollywood · Sep 22, 2025
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of Hollywood Parks and RecreationCity of Hollywood · May 6, 2026
- Road maintenance and constructionThe cityCity of Hollywood Public WorksCity of Hollywood · May 6, 2026
- Parking and code complianceThe cityCity of HollywoodCity of Hollywood · May 6, 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 | Coral SpringsFL | HollywoodFL | Fort LauderdaleFL | TallahasseeFL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 136,062 | 156,997 | 192,338 | 205,623 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $290,000 | $294,299 | $325,000 | $317,000 |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | $70,000 | Not current (2023) | $102,723 |
| General fund per resident | $1,482 | $2,778 | $2,915 | $1,151 |
| Debt per resident | $516 | $2,734 | $7,537 | $4,803 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $224 | $3,503 | $1,252 | $631 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 7.0 | 9.4 | 16.0 | 14.9 |
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). Tallahassee pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Hollywood publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineThe FY2027 budget resolution and its fund summary and appropriation exhibits are posted with the Sept. 23, 2026 agenda in Legistar. City of Hollywood · Sep 23, 2026
- Yes: City manager's contract findable online City of Hollywood · Mar 4, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineFinal minutes are posted, e.g. for March 4, 2026; meetings stream on the city website and YouTube channel. City of Hollywood · Sep 23, 2026
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public document City of Hollywood · Jul 2, 2025
- No: Employee pay publishedWe found no city-published pay list by position; the adopted budget exhibit shows department totals only. Florida has no statewide database. City of Hollywood · Sep 23, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The FY2026-27 general fund budget of $436.1 million includes a $56.6 million fund balance reserve. How much of the $102.2 million unassigned balance on September 30, 2025 does the commission plan to keep above its $63.1 million target?
- The police pension plan was 68.48% funded, with a $216.3 million shortfall. What is the schedule to close it?
- Part of the FY2026-27 general fund transfers goes to the Beach CRA as tax increment, and the Beach District ends June 25, 2027. How will that money be used once the district ends?
- The commission set its own pay at $70,000 a year and the mayor's at $100,000 in July 2025. Will future pay changes be voted on in a public hearing?
The fiscal year starts Oct. 1. The city manager presents a proposed budget to the commission in July. The commission tentatively approved the FY2027 budget at the first public hearing on Sept. 14, 2026 and passed the final budget resolution at the second hearing on Sept. 23, 2026. See who is running for council
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