How Bemidji is run
Who runs Bemidji, 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 Bemidji's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Bemidji
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
- Accrued paid time off is paid out at separation on the same terms as other non-union employees
Bemidji city staff
135 full-time-equivalent positions. 2025-12-31. Approximate number of regular full-time employees, as stated in the 2025 audit. City of Bemidji · Aug 12, 2026
The city publishes pay scales by grade and step, not pay by person. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Bemidji 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: $10.5M (2025-12-31). The city's own target: Keep unassigned general fund balance at 50% of the next year's general fund budget, with a plan to rebuild it by the end of the next year if it falls below. At the end of 2025 it equaled 50%. The city meets this target. City of Bemidji · Aug 12, 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
- Property taxes$7.7M · 38%
- State local government aid$4.8M · 23%
- Transfers from other funds$4.2M · 20%
- Other taxes and assessments$1.3M · 6%
- Fire service revenue$844,672 · 4%
- Fines and fees$371,475 · 2%
- Licenses and permits$306,059 · 1%
- Other revenue$1M · 5%
Goes to (FY2026)
- Police$6.8M · 33%
- Capital improvements$2.8M · 14%
- Fire and emergency$2.3M · 11%
- Streets$1.8M · 9%
- Parks and trails$1.4M · 7%
- Legal$835,358 · 4%
- Finance$754,183 · 4%
- Other (administration, planning, engineering, recreation, library, contingency and more)$3.8M · 18%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Bemidji is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityBemidji Police Department34 licensed peace officers.City of Bemidji · Oct 10, 2026
- FireThe cityBemidji Fire DepartmentFull-time and paid on-call firefighters, also serving surrounding areas.City of Bemidji · Oct 10, 2026
- Water and sewerThe cityCity water and sewer utilityCity of Bemidji · Aug 12, 2026
- TrashThe cityCity residential refuse serviceCity of Bemidji · Aug 12, 2026
- Storm waterThe cityCity storm water utilityCity of Bemidji · Aug 12, 2026
- StreetsThe cityCity public worksCity of Bemidji · Aug 12, 2026
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity parks and recreationCity of Bemidji · Aug 12, 2026
- Liquor storesThe cityCity-owned municipal liquor storesCity of Bemidji · Aug 12, 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 | RogersMN | MonticelloMN | BemidjiMN | HibbingMN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 15,606 | 15,670 | 15,770 | 15,823 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | $168,430 | $180,544 | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | $7,200 | Not confirmed | $7,200 |
| General fund per resident | $1,216 | $886 | $1,305 | $1,507 |
| Debt per resident | $1,986 | $895 | $3,529 | $579 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $303 | $134 | $342 | $427 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | — | 6.6 | 8.6 | 9.4 |
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 Bemidji publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineMinutes list roll call votes by member name. City of Bemidji · Feb 2, 2026
- No: Council pay stated in a public documentThe 2026 budget shows only a total for the mayor and council department. We found no document stating council pay. City of Bemidji · Dec 15, 2025
- Partly: Employee pay publishedThe council adopts yearly pay scales by grade and step. Pay by person is not posted. City of Bemidji · Dec 15, 2025
Questions to ask your council
- Of the city's $55,645,742 in bonds and financed purchases, $38,580,000 are sales tax revenue bonds. How much of the local sales tax goes to repaying them each year, and until when?
- The 2026 general fund counts on $4,210,000 in transfers from other funds. Which funds pay for this, and can they keep doing so?
- Unassigned general fund balance was $10,462,059 at the end of 2025, right at the 50% policy. What would the city do if the 2027 budget grows faster than the reserve?
Help decide what comes 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?
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