How Flint is run
Who runs Flint, 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 Flint's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Flint
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
Flint city staff
490 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police 126, Fire 72, Other departments 292. FY2023-24. Full-time equivalent employees on June 30, 2024, excluding school crossing guards, down from 550 a year earlier. City of Flint · Dec 22, 2025
The budget shows personnel costs by department. We found no list of individual employees' pay. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Flint 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 mayor's budget says ongoing general fund revenue and spending are balanced once one-time ARPA dollars are set aside, and projects general fund surpluses from FY2027-28 on. The FY2026-27 budget draws $15.7 million from fund balance, which holds the ARPA dollars. City of Flint · Mar 2, 2026
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $53.9M (2024-06-30). The city's own target: City ordinance requires a fund balance reserve, including a budget stabilization fund. The audit does not state the target amount. Part of the balance is federal ARPA money the city holds in the general fund. City of Flint · Dec 22, 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
- City income tax$26M · 29%
- State revenue$22M · 25%
- Fund balance (mostly ARPA dollars held in the general fund)$15.7M · 18%
- Charges for services$13.1M · 15%
- Property taxes$7.9M · 9%
- Other (marijuana tax, fines, other revenue)$4.2M · 5%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$23.8M · 27%
- Fire$16.3M · 18%
- ARPA-funded projects$12M · 14%
- Transfers to other funds$5.1M · 6%
- Treasurer$3.9M · 4%
- Facilities$3M · 3%
- Blight removal$3M · 3%
- Other departments and citywide costs$21.9M · 25%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Rates for a homestead as listed in the city's audit. Non-homestead property pays 22 school operating mills instead of 4, for a total of 71.3301 mills.
36¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Flint
- City of Flint19.1 · 36%
- Genesee County (incl. parks 0.739)10.0288 · 19%
- State education tax6 · 11%
- Flint District Library5.67 · 11%
- School district (homestead operating)4 · 8%
- Genesee Intermediate School District3.695 · 7%
- Mott Community College2.6638 · 5%
- Mass Transportation Authority1.2175 · 2%
- Paramedic services and Bishop Airport0.955 · 2%
- Total (mills)53.3301
2024 property tax rates for a homestead in Flint (Genesee County). City of Flint · Dec 22, 2025
Who provides your services
Not everything in Flint is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityFlint Police DepartmentCity of Flint · Dec 22, 2025
- FireThe cityFlint Fire DepartmentCity of Flint · Dec 22, 2025
- Sewer and wastewater treatmentThe cityCity sewer utilityCity of Flint · Dec 22, 2025
- TrashContractorContracted haulerPaid for by a per-parcel special assessment.City of Flint · Dec 22, 2025
- StreetsThe cityCity of FlintCity of Flint · Dec 22, 2025
- ParksThe cityCity of FlintCity of Flint · Dec 22, 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 | Battle CreekMI | WyomingMI | FlintMI | Ann ArborMI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 52,021 | 78,588 | 79,306 | 122,233 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $190,000 | $221,835 | Not confirmed | $300,000 |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | $11,193 | Not confirmed | $34,878 |
| General fund per resident | $1,263 | $558 | $1,120 | $1,391 |
| Debt per resident | $924 | $976 | $791 | $2,104 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $2,166 | $185 | $2,845 | $121 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 10.3 | 5.1 | 6.2 | 7.3 |
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 Flint 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 FY2024 audit is dated December 22, 2025, almost 18 months after the June 30, 2024 year end. We found no FY2025 audit. City of Flint · Dec 22, 2025
- Yes: Adopted budget posted online City of Flint · Oct 10, 2026
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineThe City Administrator's page gives his biography and start date but no contract or pay. City of Flint · Oct 10, 2026
- Partly: Council pay stated in a public documentCompensation commission minutes state raises, such as 6% in 2025, but not each official's current pay. City of Flint · Nov 25, 2025
Questions to ask your council
- The FY2026-27 budget spends $88.9 million from the general fund and draws $15.7 million from fund balance, mostly ARPA dollars. How much will be left once the ARPA money is spent?
- The FY2024 audit was dated December 22, 2025, and we found no FY2025 audit. When will the city file its overdue audits?
- Unassigned general fund balance was $53.9 million on June 30, 2024. What target does the city's reserve ordinance set, and is it met without ARPA money?
The fiscal year starts July 1. The charter requires a preliminary budget by the first Monday in December, the mayor's proposed budget by the first Monday in March, and council adoption by the first Monday in June. For FY2026-27, the mayor submitted the budget on March 2, 2026, and the council held its public hearing on June 1, 2026 and adopted it. See who is running for council
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