How Augusta is run
Who runs Augusta, 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 Augusta's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Augusta
An appointed city manager runs the city day to day and appoints department heads with the council's consent. The council of eight councilors and an elected mayor sets policy, adopts the budget and sets the tax rate.
What they are paid
Augusta city staff
We found no staff headcount, salary schedule or employee pay list on the city website. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Augusta 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
Unassigned general fund balance: $11.2M (2024-06-30). City of Augusta, Maine · Feb 13, 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$43.6M · 47%
- Departmental revenues, state aid, fund balance and other sources$48.2M · 53%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Schools (Department of Education)$42.4M · 46%
- Police and fire$16.5M · 18%
- Public works$6.3M · 7%
- Debt payments (bonds and notes)$5.8M · 6%
- Community services (library, parks, welfare)$4.2M · 5%
- Kennebec County tax$3.5M · 4%
- Utilities$3.2M · 4%
- Other (administration, development, retirement and insurance)$9.8M · 11%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Augusta is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityAugusta Police Department
- Fire and EMSThe cityAugusta Fire DepartmentThe department answers both fire and EMS calls.
- Trash pickupThe cityCity of Augusta (curbside rubbish collection)Curbside pickup serves homes and buildings of four units or fewer.
- Landfill and recyclingThe cityHatch Hill (city-owned regional facility)It also serves eight nearby towns.
- LibraryThe cityLithgow Public Library (city)
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity Parks & Recreation BureauIt manages 18 parks and playgrounds, including three swimming pools.
- AirportThe cityAugusta State Airport, run by the city under a state agreement
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 | AugustaME | SacoME | SanfordME | PortlandME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 19,155 | 21,159 | 22,663 | 69,911 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $240,000 |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not current (2023) |
| General fund per resident | $4,792 | $2,079 | $1,880 | $3,988 |
| Debt per resident | $2,866 | $1,269 | $4,956 | $6,059 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $496 | $263 | $502 | $591 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | — | 10.0 | — | 21.3 |
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).
What Augusta publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- No: Audited financial report filed on timeThe FY2023-24 audit is dated February 13, 2026, about 20 months after year end. The city said the FY2023 and FY2024 audits ran late. City of Augusta, Maine · Feb 13, 2026
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineWe found no contract or pay document for City Manager Jared Mills on the city website or in 2025-26 council packets. City of Augusta, Maine · Oct 10, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes online City of Augusta, Maine · Oct 10, 2026
- No: Council pay stated in a public documentWe found no document stating mayor or council pay on the city website. City of Augusta, Maine · Oct 10, 2026
- No: Employee pay publishedWe found no employee pay list or salary schedule on the city website. City of Augusta, Maine · Oct 10, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The latest public audit covers FY2023-24 and is dated February 13, 2026. When will the FY2024-25 audit be posted?
- Schools take $42.4 million of the $91.8 million FY2026-27 budget. How will the council and school board share any future cuts?
- Unassigned general fund reserves were $11.2 million on June 30, 2024. Will the council adopt a written minimum reserve target?
- Debt payments are $5.8 million in FY2026-27. How will new borrowing change that figure?
The fiscal year starts July 1. Department budget reviews start in late March, with a public hearing in late April and two council readings of the appropriation resolve (April 30 and May 7 in 2026). Voters validate the school budget at the June election. See who is running for council
Help decide what comes next
What do you want to know about Augusta next?
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Every number here was checked by hand against the linked document. Cities publish on different schedules, so years differ between sections; each figure says which year it describes. Spotted something wrong or out of date?
See something wrong? Report an error
Something wrong or missing? Tell us what and where, with a link to a source if you have one. Reports feed the next verification run.