How North Port is run
Who runs North Port, 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 Port's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Who runs North Port
A city manager appointed by the commission is the chief administrative officer and directs the city's departments. The five-member City Commission sets policy, passes laws, approves the budget and sets taxes and fees.
What they are paid
- 20 weeks' base salary as severance if fired without cause
- Car allowance of $500 a month
- Florida Retirement System, senior management class
- City pays 3.5% of his base salary into a 457 deferred compensation plan
- City-paid term life insurance equal to one year's base salary
- Must live inside the city
- From Nov. 4, 2026, yearly raises match the cost-of-living raise given to city employees, and none if employees get none
North Port city staff
945 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police (sworn) 155, Police (civilian) 60, Fire Rescue 158, Water and sewer utilities 112, Road and drainage 108. FY2025. City of North Port · Jun 22, 2026
Florida has no statewide pay database, and we found no city-published pay list by position. Budget documents state the salary and benefit cost of each proposed new position. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is North Port 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 FY2027 budget returns $3,286,527 to general fund savings, after the amended FY2026 budget used $6,614,389. Even so, the city projects general fund savings on Sept. 30, 2027 will be $22,213 short of its full reserve targets. The city says it is setting aside $2.7 million a year toward a new police headquarters and other buildings, and asked departments for about 5% in possible cuts as Florida debates property tax changes. City of North Port · Sep 11, 2026
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $26.5M (2025-09-30). The city's own target: Keep an emergency and disaster reserve of 20% of general fund operating spending, plus an economic stabilization reserve of up to 10%. If the disaster reserve is used, it must be rebuilt in the next budget or under a written plan the commission approves. City of North Port · Jun 22, 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$41.8M · 41%
- Charges for services (mostly overhead billed to other city funds, plus ambulance fees)$23.3M · 23%
- State and other governments$14.9M · 14%
- Utility, communications and other taxes$11.4M · 11%
- Permits and fees (mostly electric franchise fees)$5.9M · 6%
- Other sources$3.1M · 3%
- Other (interest, miscellaneous, fines)$2.7M · 3%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$42.3M · 42%
- Emergency medical services$17.5M · 17%
- Administration (commission, manager, attorney, clerk, finance, HR, communications)$12.3M · 12%
- Parks, recreation and aquatic center$8.1M · 8%
- Facilities maintenance$5.8M · 6%
- Information technology$5.4M · 5%
- Planning, code enforcement and economic development$5M · 5%
- Other (non-departmental, social services, emergency management)$3.4M · 3%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Of each property-tax dollar a North Port homeowner pays in millage, about 26 cents goes to the city. The city's fire rescue, road and drainage, and solid waste districts are paid by flat per-parcel assessments on the same bill, which are not in these rates. The county's 0.73-mill EMS levy does not apply inside the city. For FY2026-27 the city kept its rate at 3.7667 mills for a seventh straight year.
26¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of North Port
- Sarasota County School BoardState-required 2.8470 plus local 3.24806.095 · 42%
- City of North Port3.7667 · 26%
- Sarasota County3.2273 · 22%
- Sarasota County Hospital District1.042 · 7%
- Southwest Florida Water Management District0.1831 · 1%
- Sarasota County debt (bonds, Legacy Trail)0.1049 · <1%
- Mosquito control0.052 · <1%
- West Coast Inland Navigation District0.0394 · <1%
- Total (mills)14.5104
2025 tax year (FY2025-26) rates for a home in the city of North Port (Sarasota County). Sarasota County Tax Collector · Oct 23, 2025
See what a North Port home costs each year, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in North Port is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityNorth Port Police DepartmentCity of North Port · Jun 22, 2026
- FireThe cityNorth Port Fire Rescue (city-run Fire Rescue District)City of North Port · Jun 22, 2026
- EMS / ambulanceThe cityNorth Port Fire RescueCity of North Port · Jun 22, 2026
- Water and sewerThe cityNorth Port UtilitiesAlso provides reuse water for irrigationCity of North Port · Jun 22, 2026
- Streets and drainageThe cityCity of North Port Public Works (Road and Drainage District)City of North Port · Jun 22, 2026
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of North Port Parks and RecreationIncludes an aquatic center and recreation centersCity of North Port · Jun 22, 2026
- Social servicesThe cityCity of North Port Social ServicesCity of North Port · Jun 22, 2026
- LibraryThe countySarasota County Libraries (North Port and Shannon Staub libraries)Sarasota County Libraries
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 PortFL | SunriseFL | PlantationFL | DeltonaFL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 96,301 | 98,310 | 98,437 | 98,792 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $260,168 | Not confirmed | Not current (2019) | $225,000 |
| Council member pay | $66,648 | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $1,037 | $1,901 | $1,615 | $796 |
| Debt per resident | $992 | $2,131 | $502 | $1,454 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $777 | $2,259 | $845 | $75 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 9.8 | 12.4 | 9.4 | 4.2 |
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). Deltona pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What North Port publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineBudget Ordinance 2026-27 with fund totals and the five-year capital plan, plus the recommended budget, are posted in the city's Legistar system. City of North Port · Sep 24, 2026
- Yes: City manager's contract findable online City of North Port
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member online City of North Port
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentOrdinance 2026-02 states the $66,648.20 commissioner base salary and the mayor's extra $1,200. City of North Port
- Partly: Employee pay publishedThe budget lists positions by department and the salary and benefit cost of proposed new positions. We found no full pay list by position. City of North Port
Questions to ask your council
- The city projects general fund savings will be $22,213 short of its full reserve targets on Sept. 30, 2027, even after returning $3,286,527 to savings in FY2027. What is the plan to reach the targets?
- Police ($42,315,482) and emergency medical services ($17,453,099) are the two largest parts of the $99.8 million general fund budget. How would the 5% in possible cuts departments were asked to identify affect public safety?
- The general fund spent $98,300,542 in FY2025 against $95,332,171 in revenue. Which costs drove the gap?
- Commissioner pay is $66,648.20 a year under a formula tied to population, and Ordinance 2026-02 freezes the base from Nov. 4, 2026. Will future raises be shown in the budget?
The fiscal year starts Oct. 1. The city manager proposes a budget in June, and the commission held budget workshops June 10 and 11, 2026. Public hearings were held Sept. 10 and Sept. 24, 2026, and the FY2027 budget and tax rate were adopted Sept. 24, 2026. See who is running for council
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