How New Hope is run
Who runs New Hope, 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 New Hope's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs New Hope
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
New Hope city staff
126 full-time-equivalent positions. 2026 budget. City of New Hope · Sep 8, 2025
The budget lists wages plus benefits by job title in total, not by person. We found no employee pay list on the city's website. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is New Hope 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: $10.1M (2025-12-31). The city's own target: The city's goal is a minimum unassigned general fund balance of 42% of the next year's budgeted general fund spending. The audit says unassigned balance was 54.0% of 2025 spending. City of New Hope · Jun 4, 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$14.8M · 72%
- Intergovernmental (state aid)$2M · 10%
- Recreation fees$1.4M · 7%
- Franchise taxes and other$550,000 · 3%
- Charges for services$478,350 · 2%
- Licenses and permits$425,670 · 2%
- Administrative transfer fee from other funds$333,398 · 2%
- Other (fines, transfers, interest, assessments)$443,000 · 2%
Goes to (FY2026)
- Police$9.4M · 46%
- Fire (West Metro Fire-Rescue District)$2.2M · 11%
- Streets$1.8M · 9%
- Parks$1.3M · 6%
- Recreation$1.2M · 6%
- Swimming pool$946,547 · 5%
- Other (administration, inspections, animal control, engineering)$3.5M · 17%
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 levies charged on market value.
48¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of New Hope
- City of New Hope (general and debt levies)64.444 · 48%
- Hennepin County37.081 · 27%
- Robbinsdale ISD 28125.379 · 19%
- Special districts8.197 · 6%
- Total (percent of tax capacity)135.101
Taxes payable 2025 tax capacity rates for property in New Hope (Hennepin County, Robbinsdale ISD 281). City of New Hope · Jun 4, 2026
See what a New Hope home costs each year, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in New Hope is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityCity of New Hope Police DepartmentCity of New Hope · Jun 4, 2026
- Fire and rescueSeparate districtWest Metro Fire-Rescue District (joint with Crystal)City of New Hope · Jun 4, 2026
- WaterAnother agencyGolden Valley, Crystal and New Hope Joint Water CommissionThe commission supplies water purchased from the City of Minneapolis.City of New Hope · Jun 4, 2026
- Sanitary sewerThe cityCity of New HopeCity of New Hope · Jun 4, 2026
- Storm waterThe cityCity of New HopeCity of New Hope · Jun 4, 2026
- StreetsThe cityCity of New HopeCity of New Hope · Jun 4, 2026
- Garbage and recyclingAnother agencyHennepin Recycling Group (with two other cities)HRG contracts for collection and recycling and bills the city.City of New Hope · Jun 4, 2026
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of New HopeCity of New Hope · Jun 4, 2026
- Golf course and ice arenaThe cityCity of New HopeCity of New Hope · Sep 8, 2025
- Animal impoundAnother agencyPets Under Police Security (PUPS), a joint facility with five other citiesCity of New Hope · Jun 4, 2026
- Property assessingThe countyHennepin CountyCity of New Hope · Sep 8, 2025
- Building inspections, planning and zoningThe cityCity of New HopeCity of New Hope · Jun 4, 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 | South St PaulMN | New HopeMN | Forest LakeMN | NorthfieldMN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 20,532 | 20,807 | 20,952 | 21,992 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $210,762 | Not current (2023) | Not confirmed | $208,977 |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $10,302 |
| General fund per resident | $1,130 | $980 | $725 | $947 |
| Debt per resident | $1,446 | $1,566 | $1,684 | $3,566 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $261 | $244 | $174 | $235 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 5.4 | 6.0 | 3.2 | 5.6 |
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). South St Paul and New Hope and Northfield pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What New Hope 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 onlineThe city manager page gives his start date but no contract. Only a 2023 news report states his starting pay. City of New Hope · Oct 10, 2026
- Partly: Council pay stated in a public document City of New Hope · Sep 8, 2025
- Partly: Employee pay published City of New Hope · Sep 8, 2025
Questions to ask your council
- The 2026 general fund budget is $20.40 million, up 4.1%, and police alone is $9.44 million. What service levels does the police budget pay for?
- Unassigned general fund balance was $10.08 million at the end of 2025, and the city's goal is 42% of next year's budgeted general fund spending. How will the city use any balance above that goal?
- The city owed $32.58 million in general obligation bonds and notes at the end of 2025. Which planned capital projects in the 10-year plan would add new debt?
- The city's own tax rate was 64.444% of tax capacity for taxes payable 2025, more than Hennepin County and the school district combined. Which costs drive the city rate?
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