How Richfield is run
Who runs Richfield, 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 Richfield's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Richfield
Richfield uses the council-manager form under its home rule charter. The mayor and four council members set policy, adopt the budget and appoint a city manager, who runs city operations.
What they are paid
Richfield city staff
246 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police operations 59, Fire 32, Water and wastewater utility 19, Street maintenance 13, Liquor stores 13. FY2026 budget. Budgeted full-time equivalent positions in all funds. 185.74 are in the general fund. City of Richfield · Dec 8, 2025
The city posts its three top salaries each year. We found no full employee pay list. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Richfield 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 2026 general fund budget balances revenue and spending at $35.13 million, including a planned $445,316 addition to reserves. The budget warns that federal cuts could lead to future cuts in state aid such as Local Government Aid. City of Richfield · Dec 8, 2025
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $13.7M (2025-12-31). The city's own target: The city aims to keep unassigned general fund balance of at least 40% of the year's actual general fund spending. At the end of 2025 it was 43.4%. The city meets this target. City of Richfield · Jun 11, 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$25.2M · 72%
- Intergovernmental (state aid, incl. Local Government Aid)$5.8M · 16%
- Charges for services$1.8M · 5%
- Licenses and permits$1.1M · 3%
- Transfers in$833,695 · 2%
- Fines and forfeitures$220,000 · 1%
- Other$129,255 · 0%
Goes to (FY2026)
- Police (public safety)$13.6M · 39%
- Fire$6.6M · 19%
- Public works (streets, parks, engineering)$5.9M · 17%
- Recreation services$2.6M · 7%
- Community development$1.9M · 5%
- Administrative services$1.4M · 4%
- Mayor, council, manager and legal$1.4M · 4%
- Other (finance, transfers, reserve addition)$1.6M · 5%
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.
44¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Richfield
- City of Richfield (general, debt and HRA)56.048 · 44%
- Hennepin County37.081 · 29%
- School district26.824 · 21%
- Metropolitan agencies7.246 · 6%
- Total (percent of tax capacity)127.199
Taxes payable 2025 tax capacity rates for property in Richfield (Hennepin County). City of Richfield · Jun 11, 2026
See what a Richfield house pays, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Richfield is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityCity of RichfieldCity of Richfield · Jun 11, 2026
- FireThe cityCity of RichfieldCity of Richfield · Jun 11, 2026
- StreetsThe cityCity of RichfieldCity of Richfield · Jun 11, 2026
- WaterThe cityCity of RichfieldThe city runs its own water plant.City of Richfield · Dec 8, 2025
- Sanitary sewerThe cityCity of RichfieldCity of Richfield · Jun 11, 2026
- Storm waterThe cityCity of RichfieldCity of Richfield · Jun 11, 2026
- Parks and recreation (ice arena, pool, mini golf)The cityCity of RichfieldCity of Richfield · Jun 11, 2026
- Liquor storesThe cityCity of RichfieldThe city runs four municipal liquor stores.City of Richfield · Jun 11, 2026
- Public healthContractorBloomington Public Health DepartmentCity of Richfield · 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 | AndoverMN | RosevilleMN | RichfieldMN | Inver Grove HeightsMN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 33,874 | 35,663 | 36,593 | 36,873 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | $226,580 | $234,998 | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | Not current (2019) | $8,220 | $11,128 | $8,200 |
| General fund per resident | $494 | $834 | $960 | $998 |
| Debt per resident | $1,238 | $309 | $1,897 | $797 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $66 | $342 | $339 | $274 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 2.0 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 4.9 |
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). Andover pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Richfield 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 posted contract. The city lists the manager's 2026 salary on its Human Resources page. City of Richfield · Oct 10, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineThe council page links to recorded council meetings and to agendas and minutes. City of Richfield · Oct 10, 2026
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentCity Code 210.01 sets mayor and council salaries. The May 2026 ordinance states the 2026 amounts. City of Richfield · May 26, 2026
- Partly: Employee pay publishedThe city posts its three top 2026 salaries. We found no full employee pay list. City of Richfield · Oct 10, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- Property taxes are $25.22 million of the $35.13 million general fund budget in FY2026. How much of the 7.35% budget increase do they cover?
- Unassigned general fund balance was $13.69 million at December 31, 2025, or 43.4% of spending, above the 40% policy. What is the plan for the amount above the target?
- Police, at $13.64 million, and fire, at $6.64 million, are the two largest FY2026 general fund costs. What service levels do they buy?
- The city owed $69.43 million in bonds at December 31, 2025, including new sales-tax revenue bonds. When will the voter-approved sales tax projects be paid off?
The fiscal year starts January 1. The council held budget work sessions on August 12 and 26, 2025. The manager's recommended budget is dated September 23, 2025, the proposed levy was due to the county by September 30, 2025, and the final levy had to be certified by December 29, 2025. See who is running for council
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