How LaGrange is run

Who runs LaGrange, 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 LaGrange's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.

Who runs LaGrange

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.

You vote forThe city council: 6 membersMayor Jim Arrington. Elected at large to a four-year term in May 2024. The mayor presides at council meetings, is the ceremonial head of the city, and casts the deciding vote when the council ties.

The council hires and can fireCity Manager · City AttorneyCity Manager: Patrick Bowie, since Feb 27, 2024

The city manager hiresEveryone else: department heads, police and fire chiefs where the city has them, and all staff

City of LaGrange · Jul 1, 2026

What they are paid

City manager Patrick Bowie: base payNot confirmedFY2026-27. City of LaGrange · Jul 1, 2026

A council member$9,600 a yearFY2026-27. Per council member, from the FY2027 budget pay grade report. City of LaGrange · Jul 1, 2026

The mayor$27,500 a yearFY2026-27. City of LaGrange · Jul 1, 2026

LaGrange city staff

456 full-time-equivalent positions. FY2026-27. Full-time-equivalent headcount in the FY2027 budget. City of LaGrange · Jul 1, 2026

Georgia has no statewide pay database. The budget lists pay ranges by position, not individual salaries. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.

Is LaGrange 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.

General fund, FY2026-27$45.1MOut of $161M across all city funds, which includes utilities and other money that can only be spent on one thing. City of LaGrange · Jul 1, 2026

Savings shrank, FY2024-25 (audited)−$1.1MGeneral fund revenue $23.8M, spending $42.8M. City of LaGrange · Dec 30, 2025

Savings against the city's own target

Unassigned general fund balance: $8.7M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: The city targets total general fund balance of 25 percent of expenditures, about three months. On June 30, 2025 it was 24.7 percent, slightly below the target. The city is below this target. City of LaGrange · Dec 30, 2025

Pension promises not yet funded$11.2MThe City of LaGrange Retirement Plan, part of the Georgia Municipal Employee Benefit System (GMEBS), had an $11,223,023 net pension liability and was 84.97% funded, measured as of September 30, 2024. Employees do not contribute to the plan. (2024-09-30). City of LaGrange · Dec 30, 2025

Debt owed$54.3M2025-06-30. City of LaGrange · Dec 30, 2025

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

Transfer from electric fund$10.1M · 22%
Local option sales tax$9.5M · 21%
Transfer from water and sewer fund$4.6M · 10%
Transfer from gas fund$4M · 9%
Insurance premium tax$3.4M · 7%
Building permits$3.2M · 7%
Court fines$1.4M · 3%
Title ad valorem tax$1.1M · 2%
Other (taxes, fees, grants and transfers)$8.3M · 18%

City of LaGrange · Jul 1, 2026

Goes to (FY2026-27)

Police$19.1M · 42%
Fire$9.1M · 20%
Streets and drainage$3.6M · 8%
Parks and cemeteries$2.9M · 6%
Community development$2.5M · 5%
Administration$1.9M · 4%
Traffic control$1.2M · 3%
Other departments$4.9M · 11%

City of LaGrange · Jul 1, 2026

Who provides your services

Not everything in LaGrange is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.

PoliceThe cityLaGrange Police DepartmentCity of LaGrange · Dec 30, 2025
Fire protectionThe cityLaGrange Fire DepartmentCity of LaGrange · Dec 30, 2025
ElectricityThe cityCity of LaGrange electric utilityMany residents live outside the city electric service area.City of LaGrange · Dec 30, 2025
WaterThe cityCity of LaGrange water utilityCity of LaGrange · Dec 30, 2025
SewerThe cityCity of LaGrange sewer utilityMany residents live outside the city sewer service area.City of LaGrange · Dec 30, 2025
Natural gasThe cityCity of LaGrange gas utilityMany residents live outside the city natural gas service area.City of LaGrange · Dec 30, 2025
RecyclingContractorAmWasteThe city transferred recycling operations to AmWaste.City of LaGrange · Dec 30, 2025
Internet and telecommunicationsThe cityCity of LaGrange telecommunications utilityCity of LaGrange · Dec 30, 2025
Parks and cemeteriesThe cityCity of LaGrange parks and cemeteriesCity of LaGrange · Dec 30, 2025
Streets and sidewalksThe cityCity of LaGrange public worksCity of LaGrange · Dec 30, 2025

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	NorcrossGA	St MarysGA	LagrangeGA	StatesboroGA
Residents	19,086	20,546	34,730	35,366
Top administrator's base pay	$225,000	Not confirmed	Not confirmed	Not confirmed
Council member pay	Not confirmed	Not confirmed	$9,600	Not confirmed
General fund per resident	$1,235	$1,059	$1,299	$924
Debt per resident	$0	$3,210	$1,564	$435
Unfunded pension per resident	$117	$7	$323	$317
City staff per 1,000 residents	7.8	8.8	13.1	10.2

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).

What LaGrange publishes

What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.

No: City manager's contract findable onlineCouncil approved an employment agreement with Patrick Bowie on February 27, 2024. We found no posted agreement. City of LaGrange · Feb 27, 2024
Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlinePosted council minutes name the mover and seconder, and list each member on split votes. City of LaGrange · Jun 10, 2025
Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineThe minutes and agendas page posts agendas, minutes and videos of council meetings and work sessions. City of LaGrange
Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe FY2027 budget lists $27,500 a year for the mayor and $9,600 for each council member. City of LaGrange · Jul 1, 2026

Questions to ask your council

General fund balance was 24.7 percent of spending on June 30, 2025, just below the 25 percent target. How will the city rebuild it?
The FY2027 general fund counts on a $10,060,000 transfer from the electric fund. What happens if electric margins fall?
The budget says the general fund has run a structural deficit for much of the past decade. How much will the Google data center change that?

The fiscal year runs July 1 to June 30. The city manager presents a proposed budget in May, council holds a public hearing, and council adopts the budget in June. For FY2027 the proposal came May 12, 2026, the hearing May 26, 2026, and adoption June 9, 2026. See who is running for council

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