How Big Lake is run
Who runs Big Lake, 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 Big Lake's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Big Lake
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
Big Lake city staff
70 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police officers 15, Liquor store 11, Water and sewer 7, Streets maintenance 6, Parks maintenance 4. FY2025. City of Big Lake · May 20, 2026
The budget publishes the pay range for each position. We found no list of what each employee is paid. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Big Lake 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
Staff's proposed 2027 general fund budget is $8.17 million, up 4.86%, with no new general fund positions. The proposed 2027 levy of about $6.86 million includes the first full levy for the 2026 Public Safety Facility bonds. Staff expect Local Government Aid to keep declining. City of Big Lake · Aug 12, 2026
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $4.8M (2025-12-31). The city's own target: The city strives to keep an unrestricted general fund balance of 42% to 50% of the next year's budgeted general fund spending. Unassigned balance was 61% of 2025 general fund spending and transfers out. City of Big Lake · May 20, 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$5.2M · 67%
- Licenses and permits$804,690 · 10%
- State and federal aid$474,715 · 6%
- Franchise fees$452,223 · 6%
- Transfer from the municipal liquor store$450,000 · 6%
- Charges for services$252,869 · 3%
- Other (interest, fines, donations, miscellaneous)$151,850 · 2%
Goes to (FY2026)
- Police$3.3M · 42%
- Streets$762,756 · 10%
- Parks$671,004 · 9%
- Transfers to capital funds$634,011 · 8%
- Administration and finance$608,420 · 8%
- IT$297,576 · 4%
- Other (fire, fleet, building, planning, economic development, engineering, elections, council)$1.5M · 20%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Rates are on net tax capacity, as reported by the Sherburne County Auditor in the city's audited report. School market value referendum rates are not included. A small part of the city is in the Monticello school district.
37¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Big Lake
- City of Big Lake38.718 · 37%
- Sherburne County38.251 · 36%
- Big Lake School District 72727.935 · 27%
- Special districts0.074 · <1%
- Total (% of tax capacity)104.978
Taxes payable 2025 rates for property in the city of Big Lake (Sherburne County, Big Lake School District 727). City of Big Lake · May 20, 2026
Who provides your services
Not everything in Big Lake is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityBig Lake Police DepartmentCity of Big Lake · May 20, 2026
- FireAnother agencyBig Lake Fire Department, run jointly with Big Lake TownshipThe city pays 50 percent of the cost.City of Big Lake · Dec 10, 2025
- WaterThe cityCity water utilityCity of Big Lake · May 20, 2026
- SewerThe cityCity wastewater utilityCity of Big Lake · May 20, 2026
- StormwaterThe cityCity storm sewer utilityCity of Big Lake · May 20, 2026
- Streets and snowplowingThe cityCity public worksCity of Big Lake · Dec 10, 2025
- ParksThe cityCity parksCity of Big Lake · May 20, 2026
- Liquor storeThe cityCity-owned municipal liquor storeCity of Big Lake · May 20, 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 | VictoriaMN | East BethelMN | North St PaulMN | Big LakeMN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 12,447 | 12,605 | 12,780 | 12,929 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $198,000 | Not current (2023) | Not current (2022) | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | $5,700 | Not current (2023) | $4,800 |
| General fund per resident | $723 | $591 | $794 | $603 |
| Debt per resident | $3,139 | $1,270 | $2,688 | $1,198 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $99 | $54 | $256 | $183 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.7 | 4.9 | 5.4 |
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). East Bethel and Big Lake pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Big Lake publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineWe found no City Administrator contract on the Administration page or in budget documents. City of Big Lake · Oct 10, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineAgendas, minutes, video of regular meetings and audio of workshops are posted on the City Council page. City of Big Lake · Oct 10, 2026
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe city's pay plan lists the mayor at $500 per month and council members at $400 per month. City of Big Lake · Aug 12, 2026
- Partly: Employee pay published City of Big Lake · Aug 12, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- Unassigned general fund balance was $4,764,105 at the end of 2025, 61% of spending and transfers out, above the 42% to 50% target. How much of the balance above target will the council keep?
- Total debt was $15,489,000 at the end of 2025, before the 2026 lease revenue bonds for a new Public Safety Facility. How will the debt levy change in the years after 2027?
- Police is $3,292,790 of the $7,791,754 general fund budget for 2026. How will the new facility's operating costs be paid?
- The proposed 2027 general fund budget is $8.17 million, up 4.86%, and staff expect Local Government Aid to keep falling. What would the council cut or raise if aid ends?
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