How Monticello is run
Who runs Monticello, 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 Monticello's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 11, 2026.
Who runs Monticello
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
Monticello city staff
103 full-time-equivalent positions, including General fund 43, Enterprise funds (utilities, liquor, DMV) 32, Special revenue funds (community center) 26. FY2025. City of Monticello · May 19, 2026
The city posts the base pay of its three highest-paid employees each year. We found no full employee pay list. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Monticello 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 city adopts a balanced general fund budget each year and projects that, after 2026, the levy and other revenues will rise at the same rate as spending. On September 28, 2026 staff proposed a preliminary 2027 levy of $16,020,000, up $883,000 (5.83%). City of Monticello · Dec 8, 2025
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $8.3M (2025-12-31). The city's own target: Keep an ending general fund balance of 60 to 75 percent of the next year's budgeted spending, to cover cash flow until property taxes arrive and to handle emergencies. Unassigned balance equaled 62.9% of 2025 general fund spending. City of Monticello · May 19, 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$9.5M · 68%
- Charges for services$1.7M · 12%
- Miscellaneous (interest, solar credits, other)$1.2M · 9%
- State and federal aid$616,000 · 4%
- Licenses and permits$580,000 · 4%
- Other (franchise taxes, fines)$371,500 · 3%
Goes to (FY2026)
- Public safety (sheriff contract, fire, inspections)$4.1M · 30%
- General government$3.3M · 24%
- Public works (streets, snow, engineering)$3.1M · 23%
- Recreation and culture (parks, library)$2.3M · 16%
- Sanitation (trash and recycling contract)$1M · 7%
- Other (transfers out)$6,000 · 0%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Rates are per $100 of net tax capacity, as reported by Wright County in the city's audited report. The city's rate is about 43% of the total.
43¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Monticello
- City of Monticello37.7 · 43%
- Wright County35.56 · 40%
- Monticello School District #88213.63 · 15%
- Special districts1.33 · 2%
- Total (% of tax capacity)88.22
Taxes payable 2025 rates for property in the city of Monticello (Wright County). City of Monticello · May 19, 2026
Who provides your services
Not everything in Monticello is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- Fire and rescueThe cityMonticello Fire Department (paid-on-call)Firefighters also answer medical calls.City of Monticello · Dec 8, 2025
- WaterThe cityCity water utilityCity of Monticello · Dec 8, 2025
- SewerThe cityCity sewer utilityA private vendor runs the wastewater treatment plant for the city.City of Monticello · Dec 8, 2025
- LibraryAnother agencyGreat River Regional LibraryThe city owns and maintains the library building.City of Monticello · Dec 8, 2025
- Streets and snowplowingThe cityCity public worksCity of Monticello · Dec 8, 2025
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity parks department and community centerCity of Monticello · May 19, 2026
- Internet, phone and cable TV (FiberNet)The cityCity-owned fiber networkCity of Monticello · Dec 8, 2025
- Liquor storeThe cityCity-owned liquor storeProfits support other city funds.City of Monticello · Dec 8, 2025
- Motor vehicle licensing (DMV)The cityCity deputy registrar officeCity of Monticello · Dec 8, 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 | 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 Monticello publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted online City of Monticello · Oct 11, 2026
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineWe found no City Administrator contract online. The city posts the administrator's base salary on its Human Resources page. City of Monticello · Oct 11, 2026
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe 2026 adopted budget says the mayor earns $700 per month and each council member $600 per month. City of Monticello · Dec 8, 2025
- Partly: Employee pay publishedThe city posts the base salaries of its three highest-paid positions. We found no full employee pay list. City of Monticello · Oct 11, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- Unassigned general fund balance was $8,328,616 at the end of 2025, about 60% of the $13,886,000 general fund budget for 2026. Does the council plan to stay near the low end of its 60 to 75 percent target?
- The city spends $4,130,648 on public safety in 2026, which includes the Wright County Sheriff contract for 60 hours of patrol per day. How does the council decide how many hours to buy?
- City debt was $14,026,000 at the end of 2025, and in September 2026 the EDA issued lease revenue bonds for a new public works facility. How will the yearly lease payments affect the levy?
- The preliminary 2027 levy is $16,020,000, up 5.83%. What would the council change to lower it before the December 14, 2026 hearing?
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