How Richmond is run
Who runs Richmond, 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 Richmond's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Richmond
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
Richmond city staff
At June 30, 2025 the city had 509 employees, including 322 full-time. A pay grade and salary range chart is adopted by ordinance; we found no list of individual employee pay. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Richmond 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 against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $29M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: A Contingency Reserve Fund set by a 2014 ordinance must hold at least 20% of each year's budgeted appropriations and can be spent only when the general fund runs short of cash. It held $27.4 million on June 30, 2025, apart from the unassigned balance. City of Richmond · Dec 15, 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 FY2024-25 budget.
Comes from
- Licenses and permits (payroll and net profit fees)$32.7M · 73%
- Property taxes$3.9M · 9%
- Planned use of fund balance$3.2M · 7%
- Charges for services$2.1M · 5%
- Interest and investment income$1.5M · 3%
- Intergovernmental programs$757,000 · 2%
- Miscellaneous income$605,000 · 1%
- Other$191,000 · 0%
Goes to (FY2024-25 budget)
- Public safety$24.5M · 55%
- General government$10.1M · 22%
- Culture and recreation$5.6M · 12%
- Public works$3.9M · 9%
- Capital outlay$809,029 · 2%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Richmond is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityRichmond Police DepartmentCity of Richmond · Dec 15, 2025
- FireThe cityRichmond Fire DepartmentCity of Richmond · Dec 15, 2025
- Water, gas and sewerThe cityRichmond Water, Gas, and Sewerage Works (city-owned utility)City of Richmond · Dec 15, 2025
- Streets and public worksThe cityCity Public WorksCity of Richmond · Dec 15, 2025
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity Parks and RecreationCity of Richmond · Dec 15, 2025
- RecyclingThe cityCity RecyclingCity of Richmond · Dec 15, 2025
- GolfThe cityCity golf courseCity of Richmond · Dec 15, 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 | ElizabethtownKY | RichmondKY | GeorgetownKY | CovingtonKY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 35,448 | 40,663 | 40,883 | 41,847 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $14,837 | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $2,104 | $1,105 | $1,396 | $1,755 |
| Debt per resident | $2,600 | $2,834 | $2,220 | $2,484 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $1,389 | $1,269 | $1,112 | $2,315 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | — | — | 5.7 | 8.8 |
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 Richmond publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Partly: Adopted budget posted online City of Richmond
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineWe found no City Manager contract online. The commission renewed it by Order 22-66 on June 28, 2022. City of Richmond · Jun 28, 2022
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineCommission minutes list each member's yes or no vote on each item. Posted minutes stop at February 2025. City of Richmond · Feb 25, 2025
- Partly: Meeting videos and minutes online City of Richmond
- No: Council pay stated in a public documentWe found no posted ordinance or budget line stating the mayor's or commissioners' pay. City of Richmond
- Partly: Employee pay published City of Richmond · Jun 25, 2024
Questions to ask your council
- The FY2024-25 general fund budget planned $44.9 million of spending and a $3.2 million draw on fund balance. The FY2025 audit shows a $3.1 million increase instead. Why does the budget plan for deficits that do not happen?
- The general fund held $29.0 million unassigned on June 30, 2025, on top of a $27.4 million contingency reserve. What does the commission plan to use the unassigned balance for?
- Licenses and permits, mostly payroll and net profit license fees, were budgeted at $32.7 million, more than three quarters of budgeted general fund revenue in FY2024-25. How would the city respond if local payrolls shrink?
- Bonds and state loans totaled $115.3 million on June 30, 2025, after new bonds for the Goggins Lane park complex. How will the added debt payments fit future budgets?
The fiscal year starts July 1. The City Manager submits a proposed budget before June, public hearings follow, and the commission enacts the budget by ordinance before June 30. See who is running for council
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