How Thibodaux is run
Who runs Thibodaux, 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 Thibodaux's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Thibodaux
The elected mayor heads the city government and appoints its top administrator and department heads. The council passes laws, adopts the budget and sets the tax rate.
What they are paid
Thibodaux city staff
The budget lists every city position with its budgeted salary by department (85 positions in police), but does not state a citywide total. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Thibodaux 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 audit's summary of the 2026 general fund budget shows it using $6.3 million of fund balance. The city budgets revenue conservatively: the 2026 budget assumes no sales tax growth over 2025 estimates. City of Thibodaux · Jun 30, 2026
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $27.3M (2025-12-31). The city's own target: We found no written minimum reserve policy in the audit or the budget. The audit calls the $27.3 million unassigned balance a very adequate level of reserves, equal to over 102.1% of general fund spending and transfers out. City of Thibodaux · 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.
Comes from
- Sales tax$19M · 57%
- Licenses and permits$1.8M · 5%
- Miscellaneous$1.3M · 4%
- State grants$1.2M · 3%
- Other governments (intergovernmental)$1M · 3%
- Transfers in from other funds$972,256 · 3%
- Property taxes$714,324 · 2%
- Other (other taxes, charges for services, fines)$1.3M · 4%
- From savings (fund balance)$6.3M · 19%
Goes to (FY2026)
- Police$11.1M · 33%
- Streets and drainage$4.2M · 13%
- Parks and recreation$4.2M · 12%
- Transfers out to other funds$3.9M · 12%
- Municipal auditorium$1.7M · 5%
- General administration$1.7M · 5%
- Fire (support for the volunteer fire department)$1.5M · 5%
- Other (city court, finance, council, mayor, airport, legal, IT, HR and others)$5.3M · 16%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Thibodaux is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityThibodaux Police DepartmentCity of Thibodaux · Jun 30, 2026
- FirePrivate companyThibodaux Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.A separate nonprofit funded by two city property tax millages, which pay for responding to emergencies and fire protection.City of Thibodaux · Jun 30, 2026
- SewerThe cityCity of Thibodaux (Municipal Gas and Sewerage System Fund)City of Thibodaux · Jun 30, 2026
- Natural gasThe cityCity of Thibodaux (Municipal Gas and Sewerage System Fund)City of Thibodaux · Jun 30, 2026
- City streets and drainageThe cityCity of Thibodaux Public WorksCity of Thibodaux · Jun 30, 2026
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of Thibodaux Parks and RecreationCity of Thibodaux · Jun 30, 2026
- Rental housing assistance (Section 8)The cityCity of Thibodaux Section 8 Housing FundCity of Thibodaux · Jun 30, 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 | ThibodauxLA | BroussardLA | YoungsvilleLA | ZacharyLA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 15,573 | 15,799 | 19,980 | 20,621 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $105,324 | Not confirmed | $102,285 | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | $12,749 | $24,000 | $15,476 | $10,414 |
| General fund per resident | $2,157 | $1,455 | $445 | $1,031 |
| Debt per resident | $612 | $3,284 | $3,308 | $908 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $930 | $199 | $251 | $788 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | — | — | — | — |
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). Thibodaux pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Thibodaux publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineThe 2026 Council Approved Budget is posted on the finance page, with approved budgets back to 2016. City of Thibodaux
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineThibodaux has no city manager. The elected mayor runs the city; the budget lists the mayor's and department directors' salaries. City of Thibodaux · Dec 2, 2025
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineCouncil minutes list members by name in each roll-call vote. Thibodaux City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineThe council meetings page posts agendas, minutes, ordinances, resolutions, and meeting audio and video. City of Thibodaux
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe budget lists each council seat's pay, and the audit lists pay actually received by each member. City of Thibodaux · Dec 2, 2025
- Yes: Employee pay publishedThe budget lists positions by department with budgeted salaries. City of Thibodaux · Dec 2, 2025
Questions to ask your council
- The 2026 general fund budget plans to use $6.3 million of fund balance, but in 2025 the fund balance fell only $230,848 after the city budgeted a larger draw. Why budget such a large draw each year?
- Unassigned general fund reserves were $27.3 million on December 31, 2025, more than a full year of general fund spending. Should the city adopt a written reserve target?
- Police is $11.1 million of the $33.6 million general fund budget for FY2026. How will the police budget change as the city draws down its fund balance?
- Sales tax is $19 million of the $27.3 million in general fund revenue and transfers budgeted for FY2026. How would the city respond if sales tax fell?
The fiscal year starts Jan. 1. The proposed budget goes to the mayor and council at the council's first regular meeting in November, a public hearing follows, and the budget must be adopted by ordinance by Dec. 7. The council adopted the 2026 budget on Dec. 2, 2025. See who is running for council
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