How North Lauderdale is run
Who runs North Lauderdale, 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 North Lauderdale's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Who runs North Lauderdale
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
- A car allowance, $43,200 a year for the commission combined in the FY2027 proposed budget
North Lauderdale city staff
293 full-time-equivalent positions. FY2025 (audited report). City of North Lauderdale · Jun 30, 2026
Florida has no statewide pay database. The city sets pay ranges in a Comprehensive Pay Plan approved by the commission; we found no posted pay list for individual employees. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is North Lauderdale 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
To end the yearly use of reserves to balance the general fund, the manager first proposed raising the tax rate to 8.4 mills. The commission kept it at 7.4 mills, the rate of the past nine years, and the adopted budget uses $5.7 million of general fund balance. The city estimates it would lose $4.5 million in FY2028 if voters approve a larger homestead exemption in November 2026. City of North Lauderdale · Sep 28, 2026
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $44.5M (2025-09-30). The city's own target: No set amount. The city says it strives to follow Government Finance Officers Association standards for an adequate fund balance. City of North Lauderdale · 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
- Property taxes$20.1M · 37%
- Intergovernmental revenue$7M · 13%
- Charges for services$7M · 13%
- Use of reserves (fund balance)$5.7M · 10%
- Sales, use and utility taxes$5.1M · 9%
- Licenses, permits and assessments$4.9M · 9%
- Miscellaneous$4.1M · 7%
- Other (fines and forfeitures)$440,400 · 1%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police (Broward Sheriff's Office contract)$18.8M · 35%
- Transfers to other funds (mainly fire rescue)$9.7M · 18%
- Parks and recreation$6.8M · 13%
- Community development$5.5M · 10%
- Public works$4.7M · 9%
- Finance$1.9M · 4%
- Non-departmental$1.9M · 4%
- Other (commission, manager, attorney, clerk, human resources)$4.9M · 9%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Of each property-tax dollar a North Lauderdale homeowner pays, about 34 cents goes to the city. The city has no voter-approved debt levy.
34¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of North Lauderdale
- City of North Lauderdale (operating)7.4 · 34%
- Broward County School Board (operating)State-required plus local board rates6.294 · 29%
- Broward County5.6628 · 26%
- North Broward Hospital District1.2391 · 6%
- Children's Services Council0.45 · 2%
- South Florida Water Management District0.2301 · 1%
- Broward County School Board (voter-approved debt)0.1587 · <1%
- Florida Inland Navigation District0.027 · <1%
- Total (mills)21.4617
2026 tax year (FY2026-27) rates for a home in the city of North Lauderdale (Broward County). Broward County Property Appraiser · Oct 1, 2026
See what a North Lauderdale home costs each year, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in North Lauderdale is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceContractorBroward Sheriff's OfficeContract since 2000; 73 positions in the city's district.City of North Lauderdale · Jun 30, 2026
- Sewage treatmentThe countyBroward CountyThe city runs the sewer lines; the county treats and disposes of the wastewater.City of North Lauderdale · Jun 30, 2026
- Canals and stormwaterThe cityCity (North Lauderdale Water Control District)City of North Lauderdale · Jun 30, 2026
- StreetsThe cityCity public works departmentCity of North Lauderdale · Jun 30, 2026
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity parks and recreation departmentCity of North Lauderdale · Jun 30, 2026
- Swimming poolContractorPrivate operator under city contractCity of North Lauderdale · Jul 28, 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 | North Miami BeachFL | North LauderdaleFL | Cutler BayFL | Ormond BeachFL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 44,365 | 44,888 | 45,361 | 45,723 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $260,000 | $230,000 | $366,097 | Not current (2022) |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $11,224 | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $1,773 | $1,208 | $678 | $1,164 |
| Debt per resident | $4,066 | $0 | $544 | $649 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $1,888 | $212 | $97 | $271 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 6.5 | 0.9 | 8.7 |
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). North Miami Beach and North Lauderdale and Cutler Bay pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What North Lauderdale 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 timeFY2025 audited report, transmittal letter dated June 30, 2026, is on the Florida Auditor General site, at the nine-month deadline. Unmodified opinion. City of North Lauderdale · Jun 30, 2026
- Partly: Adopted budget posted online City of North Lauderdale
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineMinutes name each member's vote, e.g. the 4-1 vote on commission salaries on July 29, 2025. City of North Lauderdale · Jul 29, 2025
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineThe city's Granicus portal posts agendas, video and approved minutes for commission meetings. City of North Lauderdale
- No: Employee pay publishedWe found no pay list for individual employees. The budget says a Comprehensive Pay Plan sets pay ranges. Florida has no statewide database. City of North Lauderdale · Jul 28, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The FY2026-27 general fund uses $5.7 million of reserves while the tax rate stays at 7.4 mills. How long can the $44.5 million unassigned balance cover that gap?
- The Broward Sheriff's Office contract rises to $18.8 million, about a third of the $54.2 million general fund. How will the commission measure the service it gets?
- The city estimates a $4.5 million revenue loss in FY2028 if voters approve a larger homestead exemption. Which services would change first?
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