How Takoma Park is run
Who runs Takoma Park, 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 Takoma Park's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Takoma Park
Takoma Park has a council-manager government. The mayor, elected at large, and six councilmembers elected by ward serve two-year terms. The council sets policy, adopts the budget and hires the city manager and the city attorney. The city manager runs day-to-day operations and appoints the department heads.
What they are paid
Takoma Park city staff
177 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police 61, Public works 39, General government 21, Recreation 19. FY2026-27. Adopted full-time equivalents for all funds in FY2026-27, down 1.50 from FY2025-26. City of Takoma Park · May 13, 2026
The adopted budget lists the budgeted salary for each position by title. We found no list of pay by employee name. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Takoma Park 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: $14.4M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: Keep general fund unassigned fund balance at no less than two months (17%) of general fund revenue. At June 30, 2025 it was 45.4% of revenue. The city meets this target. City of Takoma Park · Oct 31, 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
- Taxes and utility fees (property, income and utility taxes)$24.1M · 69%
- Intergovernmental (county and state)$7M · 20%
- Use of general fund reserves$1.9M · 6%
- Charges for service$1.3M · 4%
- Use of money and property$300,000 · 1%
- Fines and forfeitures$126,800 · 0%
- Other (licenses, permits, property sales, miscellaneous)$134,829 · 0%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$10.7M · 31%
- Public works$6.8M · 20%
- General government$5.5M · 16%
- Housing and community development$2.8M · 8%
- Recreation$2.4M · 7%
- Capital outlay$1.9M · 5%
- Library$1.8M · 5%
- Other (multi-departmental, communications, debt service)$3M · 9%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Each owner pays the city, county and state rates plus park, planning, transit and recreation rates on the same assessed value. The city rate was $0.5522 per $100 in FY2024-25 and FY2025-26 and is $0.5422 in FY2026-27.
35¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Takoma Park
- City of Takoma Park0.5522 · 35%
- Montgomery County0.717 · 45%
- State of Maryland0.112 · 7%
- Washington Suburban Transit District0.0892 · 6%
- Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission0.081 · 5%
- Recreation areas0.0318 · 2%
- Total (dollars per $100 of assessed value)1.5832
FY2024-25 real property tax rates for a home in Takoma Park (Montgomery County). City of Takoma Park · Oct 31, 2025
Who provides your services
Not everything in Takoma Park is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityTakoma Park Police DepartmentCity of Takoma Park · Oct 31, 2025
- Police dispatchThe cityTakoma Park Police Department (Communications Division)City of Takoma Park · May 13, 2026
- Fire and emergency medical servicesThe countyMontgomery County Fire DepartmentCity of Takoma Park · Oct 31, 2025
- Trash, recycling and food waste collectionThe cityCity of Takoma Park Public Works DepartmentCity of Takoma Park · May 13, 2026
- Streets, storm drains and snow removalThe cityCity of Takoma Park Public Works DepartmentCity of Takoma Park · Oct 31, 2025
- LibraryThe cityTakoma Park Maryland Library (city)City of Takoma Park · Oct 31, 2025
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of Takoma Park Recreation and Public Works DepartmentsCity of Takoma Park · Oct 31, 2025
- Electricity, natural gas and telephonePrivate companyPrivate companiesCity of Takoma Park · Oct 31, 2025
Compared with other cities
Cities in other states, so read this for scale, not as a ranking. Comparisons with similar cities in the same state come as we cover more of them.
| Per city | Fort ThomasKY | HugoMN | RadfordVA | Takoma ParkMD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 17,142 | 17,167 | 17,243 | 17,260 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not current (2022) | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $246,977 |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | $6,500 | Not confirmed | $27,829 |
| General fund per resident | $1,338 | $633 | $2,052 | $2,021 |
| Debt per resident | $492 | $846 | $1,831 | $390 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $1,120 | $62 | $355 | $846 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | — | 1.9 | — | 10.3 |
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). Hugo and Takoma Park pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Takoma Park publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineThe FY2026-27 adopted budget and earlier budgets are on the city's Budgets and Financial Documents page. City of Takoma Park · Oct 10, 2026
- Partly: City manager's contract findable online City of Takoma Park · Jan 17, 2024
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineOrdinances record roll-call votes by name, for example the FY2026-27 budget adopted May 13, 2026. City of Takoma Park · May 13, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineThe council meetings page links to agendas, minutes and videos of council meetings. City of Takoma Park · Oct 10, 2026
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe adopted budget lists $37,104.91 for the mayor and $27,828.68 for each councilmember. City of Takoma Park · May 13, 2026
- Partly: Employee pay publishedThe adopted budget lists the budgeted salary for each position by title. We found no pay list by employee name. City of Takoma Park · May 13, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The FY2026-27 budget uses $1,920,069 of general fund reserves, and the city's forecast shows unassigned reserves below the 17% minimum by FY2030-31 if nothing changes. What tax, fee or spending changes will the council weigh before then?
- Unassigned general fund reserves were $14,364,163 at June 30, 2025, or 45.4% of revenue against a 17% minimum. How much of that balance does the council plan to spend, and on what?
- The council cut the property tax rate one cent to $0.5422 for FY2026-27, while its forecast said a rate increase would likely be needed by FY2030-31. How did the council weigh that tradeoff?
- Pension liabilities were $14,606,436 at June 30, 2025, about twice the city's $6,739,000 in bonds. How does the budget plan for future pension contributions?
The fiscal year starts July 1. The city manager submitted the FY2026-27 recommended budget on March 25, 2026. The council held public hearings on April 1 and April 15, 2026, and adopted the budget on May 13, 2026. See who is running for council
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