How Hutchinson is run
Who runs Hutchinson, 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 Hutchinson's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Hutchinson
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
Hutchinson city staff
195 full-time-equivalent positions, including Electric and natural gas utility 45, Parks (with seasonal staff) 29, Police officers 25. 2025-12-31. City of Hutchinson · Jun 18, 2026
We found no list of individual employee pay. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Hutchinson 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 budget's five-year forecast keeps the general fund balanced each year through 2031. To do so it assumes general fund levy increases of 5.9% to 7.4% a year, driven mostly by wages and benefits. It projects fund balance near 53% to 54% of spending. City of Hutchinson · Dec 23, 2025
Savings
Unassigned general fund balance: $744,510 (2025-12-31). City of Hutchinson · Jun 18, 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$7.3M · 44%
- Charges for services$3M · 18%
- Transfers in (utilities, liquor store, other city funds)$2.9M · 17%
- State and federal aid$2.2M · 13%
- Licenses and permits$457,850 · 3%
- Miscellaneous$410,400 · 2%
- Other (other taxes, fines)$375,000 · 2%
Goes to (FY2026)
- Police$4.4M · 27%
- General government$4.1M · 25%
- Culture and recreation$3.9M · 24%
- Streets and highways$2.3M · 14%
- Fire, inspections and other public safety$1.3M · 8%
- Other (cemetery, airport)$418,496 · 3%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Minnesota property taxes are mostly set as a rate on a property's tax capacity. This split leaves out voter-approved school levies charged on market value.
44¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Hutchinson
- City of Hutchinson56.527 · 44%
- McLeod County45.545 · 35%
- School district24.037 · 19%
- Special districts2.903 · 2%
- Total (percent of tax capacity)129.012
2025 tax capacity rates for property in Hutchinson (McLeod County, ISD 423). City of Hutchinson · Jun 18, 2026
See what a Hutchinson home costs each year, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Hutchinson is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityHutchinson Police Department24.82 full-time equivalent officers at the end of 2025.City of Hutchinson · Jun 18, 2026
- FireThe cityHutchinson Fire DepartmentPaid-on-call firefighters.City of Hutchinson · Jun 18, 2026
- Electric and natural gasThe cityHutchinson Utilities CommissionCity-owned, overseen by a separate commission; the council reviews rates.City of Hutchinson · Jun 18, 2026
- WaterThe cityCity water utilityCity of Hutchinson · Jun 18, 2026
- Sewer and storm waterThe cityCity wastewater and storm water utilitiesCity of Hutchinson · Jun 18, 2026
- Trash and compostThe cityCity refuse utility and Creekside compostCity of Hutchinson · Jun 18, 2026
- StreetsThe cityCity streets departmentCity of Hutchinson · Jun 18, 2026
- LibraryAnother agencyPioneerland Library SystemPioneerland runs the library; the city owns the building.City of Hutchinson · Jul 1, 2026
- Liquor storeThe cityLiquor Hutch, city off-sale liquor storeCity of Hutchinson · Jun 18, 2026
- Airport and cemeteryThe cityCity of HutchinsonCity of Hutchinson · Jun 18, 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 | WorthingtonMN | WaconiaMN | BrainerdMN | HutchinsonMN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 13,979 | 14,113 | 14,428 | 14,655 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $155,958 | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | $6,000 | $6,600 | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $806 | $947 | $980 | $1,129 |
| Debt per resident | $3,350 | $3,949 | $2,317 | $3,168 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $302 | $111 | $377 | $444 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 9.1 | 3.8 | 5.9 | 13.3 |
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). Waconia pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Hutchinson 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 or salary resolution on the city website. Council packets are scanned images. City of Hutchinson · Oct 10, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineMeetings air live on HCVN Channel 10, with on-demand video since March 2018. City of Hutchinson · Oct 10, 2026
- No: Council pay stated in a public documentThe charter defers to state law. We found no current ordinance or budget line stating mayor or council pay. City of Hutchinson · Dec 1, 2016
- No: Employee pay publishedThe financial reports page posts budgets and audits but no pay schedule or list of employee pay. City of Hutchinson · Oct 10, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The five-year forecast assumes general fund levy increases of 5.9% to 7.4% a year through 2031. What would slow that growth?
- Bonds totaled $46.4 million at the end of 2025. How will yearly street bond issues and the debt levy change that total?
The fiscal year starts January 1. For the 2026 budget the council held workshops May 27, August 26, September 9 and November 12, 2025, approved preliminary levies September 23, held the Truth in Taxation hearing December 4, and adopted the final budget and levies December 23, 2025. See who is running for council
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