How Moorhead is run
Who runs Moorhead, 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 Moorhead's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Moorhead
Moorhead has used the council-manager form of government since 1985. The mayor and eight council members pass ordinances, adopt the budget and hire the city manager. The city manager carries out the council's policies, oversees day-to-day operations and appoints the department heads.
What they are paid
Moorhead city staff
299 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police 83, Public works 61, Administration 46, Fire 42, Engineering 37, Community development 19, Parks 11. FY2026. City of Moorhead · Dec 8, 2025
The city does not post pay by person. The budget shows staffing and wages by department. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Moorhead 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: $23M (2025-12-31). The city's own target: Keep a cash reserve of at least 40% of next year's General Fund and Park Fund operating budget. The audit also cites a 60% target for unassigned and assigned general fund balance, which was 60.8% of general fund spending at the end of 2025. City of Moorhead · Jun 16, 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$16.2M · 39%
- Transfers from city utilities and other funds$9.7M · 23%
- State Local Government Aid$8.3M · 20%
- Other state, federal and county aid$2.4M · 6%
- Charges for services$1.5M · 4%
- Franchise fees$1M · 2%
- Licenses and permits$784,212 · 2%
- Other (interest, fines, other revenue and reserves)$1.6M · 4%
Goes to (FY2026)
- Police$14.1M · 34%
- Elected officials and citywide administration$8.8M · 21%
- Fire$7.7M · 19%
- Public works (streets, snow and ice)$4.2M · 10%
- Engineering$3.9M · 10%
- Community development$2.7M · 6%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Minnesota property taxes are mostly set as a rate on a property's tax capacity. These are the city's table of direct and overlapping rates from the Clay County Auditor. It leaves out voter-approved school levies charged on market value.
43¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Moorhead
- City of Moorhead56.081 · 41%
- Moorhead Economic Development Authority1.727 · 1%
- Clay County45.464 · 34%
- School district30.693 · 23%
- Buffalo-Red River Watershed District1.64 · 1%
- Total (percent of tax capacity)135.605
Taxes payable 2025 tax capacity rates for property in Moorhead (Clay County). City of Moorhead · Jun 16, 2026
Who provides your services
Not everything in Moorhead is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityMoorhead Police DepartmentCity of Moorhead · Jun 16, 2026
- FireThe cityMoorhead Fire DepartmentCity of Moorhead · Jun 16, 2026
- Emergency medical servicesThe cityCity of MoorheadCity of Moorhead · Jun 16, 2026
- Electricity and waterThe cityMoorhead Public Service (city-owned utility)City of Moorhead · Jun 16, 2026
- Wastewater and storm waterThe cityCity wastewater treatment and storm water utilitiesCity of Moorhead · Jun 16, 2026
- StreetsThe cityCity public works and engineeringCity of Moorhead · Jun 16, 2026
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity parks and recreationCity of Moorhead · Jun 16, 2026
- Public transitAnother agencyMATBUS, run jointly with the City of FargoFargo Transit provides day-to-day operational oversight.City of Moorhead · Jun 16, 2026
- AirportThe cityMoorhead Municipal Airport (city)City of Moorhead · Jun 16, 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 | Cottage GroveMN | MankatoMN | MoorheadMN | ShakopeeMN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 43,604 | 46,529 | 46,533 | 49,366 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | $218,046 | Not confirmed | $240,525 |
| Council member pay | $10,057 | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $7,500 |
| General fund per resident | $714 | $846 | $891 | $871 |
| Debt per resident | $1,399 | $1,575 | $6,196 | $788 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $229 | $266 | $321 | $204 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 5.4 | 6.7 | 6.4 | 3.7 |
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 Moorhead publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineThe 2026 budget, detail budget and 2026-2030 capital plan are posted on the city's budgets page. City of Moorhead · Oct 10, 2026
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineThe city manager's page and the budget do not post his contract or salary. City of Moorhead · Oct 10, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineCouncil meetings stream live and videos stay posted. Documents before June 9, 2025 must be requested from the City Clerk. City of Moorhead · Oct 10, 2026
- No: Council pay stated in a public documentThe budget shows only a $314,779 total for the Mayor and Council department, not each member's pay. City of Moorhead · Dec 8, 2025
- No: Employee pay publishedThe budget shows staffing by department (298.88 FTEs in 2026) but not pay by person. City of Moorhead · Dec 8, 2025
Questions to ask your council
- General fund spending exceeded revenue by $7,624,661 in 2025, and $9,556,771 in net transfers covered the gap. The 2026 budget plans a $7,725,000 transfer from the electric utility. How would the budget change if utility transfers fell?
- Unassigned general fund balance was $23,014,416 at December 31, 2025, yet the 2026 general fund budget uses $456,735 from reserves. What level of reserves does the council aim to keep?
- The city's debt was $288,318,361 at the end of 2025, much of it special assessment bonds. How much of future debt service depends on special assessments being paid?
- The city's share of PERA pension liability, with Moorhead Public Service, was $14,916,276 at June 30, 2025. How will that affect future budgets?
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