How Largo is run
Who runs Largo, 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 Largo's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Who runs Largo
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 20% of base salary into a 401(a) retirement plan
- $550 a month car allowance
- City-issued cell phone
- Had to move inside the city within three months of starting
- Other benefits the same as non-union city staff
- Commission health, dental, vision and life insurance budget: $79,900 (FY2027)
- Commission travel budget: lodging $25,800 and airfare $11,300 (FY2027)
Largo city staff
991 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police 220, Fire and EMS 169. FY2025. City of Largo · Mar 31, 2026
Florida has no statewide pay database, and we found no city-published list of pay by position. Agenda memos state the city manager's salary. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Largo 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: $14.1M (2025-09-30). City of Largo · Mar 31, 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$45.5M · 34%
- Charges for services (incl. fire/EMS fees from the county)$28.4M · 21%
- Other taxes (utility, franchise, communications)$15.7M · 12%
- State and other governments$15.3M · 11%
- Interfund charges, transfers and other sources$12.6M · 9%
- Licenses, permits and fees$8.6M · 6%
- Other (miscellaneous, fines)$3.6M · 3%
- From savings (fund balance)$5.6M · 4%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Personnel (salaries and benefits)$96.5M · 71%
- Operating costs$24.3M · 18%
- Other spending$9.5M · 7%
- Capital (equipment and projects)$5M · 4%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Of each property-tax dollar a Largo homeowner pays, about 29 cents goes to the city. The EMS and transit rates apply to real estate only. For FY2026-27 the city cut its rate to 5.4900.
29¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Largo
- Pinellas County School BoardState-required 3.0450 plus local 3.24806.293 · 33%
- City of Largo5.52 · 29%
- Pinellas County (general fund and health department)4.6136 · 24%
- Pinellas County EMS0.805 · 4%
- Juvenile Welfare Board0.825 · 4%
- Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority0.73 · 4%
- Southwest Florida Water Management District0.1831 · <1%
- Pinellas Planning Council0.0175 · <1%
- Total (mills)18.9872
2025 tax year (FY2025-26) rates for a home in the city of Largo (Pinellas County). Pinellas County Tax Collector
See what a Largo house pays, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Largo is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityLargo Police DepartmentCity of Largo · Mar 31, 2026
- FireThe cityLargo Fire RescueAlso covers unincorporated areas around the cityCity of Largo · Mar 31, 2026
- Fire and EMS dispatchThe countyPinellas CountyCity of Largo · Mar 31, 2026
- Sewer (wastewater)The cityCity of LargoCity of Largo · Mar 31, 2026
- StormwaterThe cityCity of LargoCity of Largo · Mar 31, 2026
- LibraryThe cityLargo Public LibraryCity of Largo · Mar 31, 2026
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of Largo Recreation, Parks & ArtsCity of Largo · Mar 31, 2026
- SchoolsSeparate districtPinellas County SchoolsPinellas County Tax Collector
- Bus transitSeparate districtPinellas Suncoast Transit AuthorityCity of Largo · Mar 31, 2026
- Jail and courtsThe countyPinellas CountyCity of Largo · Mar 31, 2026
- Golf courseThe cityLargo Golf Course (city-run)City of Largo · Mar 31, 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 | DoralFL | LargoFL | KissimmeeFL | Daytona BeachFL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 83,746 | 84,075 | 87,664 | 88,144 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | $248,887 | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | $56,483 | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $1,322 | $1,610 | $1,387 | $1,847 |
| Debt per resident | $1,722 | $2,309 | $1,721 | $2,523 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $485 | $373 | $530 | $1,282 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | — | 11.8 | 9.3 | 11.5 |
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). Largo pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Largo publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineThe city's budget page posts the FY2027 adopted budget book, the adopted long range financial plan workbook and the five-year capital plan. City of Largo
- Partly: City manager's contract findable online City of Largo · Sep 19, 2023
- No: Employee pay publishedWe found no city-published pay list by position on the city's financial center pages. Florida has no statewide database. Agenda memos state the manager's pay.
Questions to ask your council
- The police and firefighters' pension plan had a $31.4 million net pension liability (87.11% funded) at Sept. 30, 2024. What is the plan to close the gap?
- Debt stood at $194.1 million at Sept. 30, 2025, much of it for the new city hall. How much general fund money goes to city hall debt each year?
The fiscal year starts Oct. 1. The city manager proposes a budget by July 1 (July 1, 2026 this year), the Finance Advisory Board reviews it with the commission (July 27) and the commission holds a budget work session (Aug. 11). Public hearings follow in September; the commission set the tentative budget on Sept. 3 and adopted the FY2027 budget and a 5.49 mill tax rate on Sept. 15, 2026. See who is running for council
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