How Shakopee is run
Who runs Shakopee, 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 Shakopee's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Shakopee
The elected mayor heads the city government and appoints its top administrator and department heads. The council passes laws, adopts the budget and sets the tax rate.
What they are paid
Shakopee city staff
182 full-time-equivalent positions, including Sworn police officers 52. FY2026. City of Shakopee · Dec 16, 2025
The city posts the base salaries of its three highest-paid jobs. We found no list of individual employee pay. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Shakopee 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 updates a long-term financial plan each year with ten-year general fund projections. The preliminary 2027 city levy is $30.1 million, up 6.85%. About half of the increase pays for the fire department's move to full-time, 24/7 staffing. The federal SAFER grant for 12 firefighters requires a city match that rises to 65% in its third year. City of Shakopee · Sep 15, 2026
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $23.1M (2025-12-31). The city's own target: Keep unassigned general fund balance between 35% and 50% of budgeted spending. At the end of 2025 it was 53.6% of the 2026 budget, above the range. The city moved $2.3 million to capital and internal service funds and will decide the rest in the 2027 budget. The city meets this target. City of Shakopee · 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 and other taxes$24.6M · 57%
- Charges for services$6.5M · 15%
- Intergovernmental (state and federal aid)$5.6M · 13%
- Licenses and permits$4.4M · 10%
- Transfers in$900,000 · 2%
- Other (miscellaneous, fines, special assessments)$967,900 · 2%
Goes to (FY2026)
- Police$14.3M · 33%
- Recreation (community center, ice arena, programs)$6M · 14%
- Fire$4.8M · 11%
- Park maintenance$3.6M · 8%
- Administration$3M · 7%
- Street maintenance$2.9M · 7%
- Building inspections$2.3M · 5%
- Other (engineering, finance, clerk, planning, facilities, fleet, council, unallocated)$6.1M · 14%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Minnesota property taxes are mostly set as a rate on a property's tax capacity. Not all overlapping rates apply to every property in the city. This split leaves out voter-approved school levies charged on market value.
32¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Shakopee
- City of Shakopee27.768 · 32%
- School district27.361 · 31%
- Scott County26.977 · 31%
- Other districts4.765 · 5%
- Total (percent of tax capacity)86.871
2025 tax capacity rates for property in Shakopee (Scott County). City of Shakopee · May 19, 2026
See what a Shakopee house pays, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Shakopee is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityShakopee Police Department52 sworn officers in the 2026 budget.City of Shakopee · Dec 16, 2025
- FireThe cityShakopee Fire DepartmentFull-time, 24/7 staffing at both city fire stations since 2026.City of Shakopee · Sep 15, 2026
- Streets and public worksThe cityCity public worksCity of Shakopee · May 19, 2026
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity parks and recreationCity of Shakopee · May 19, 2026
- Sewer collectionThe cityCity sewer utilityCity of Shakopee · Sep 15, 2026
- Sewage treatmentAnother agencyMetropolitan Council Environmental ServicesCity of Shakopee · Sep 15, 2026
- Storm waterThe cityCity surface water utility140 miles of storm sewer and 224 ponds.City of Shakopee · Sep 15, 2026
- Electricity and waterAnother agencyShakopee Public Utilities CommissionAppointed by the City Council but operates independently of the city.City of Shakopee · May 19, 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 | MankatoMN | MoorheadMN | ShakopeeMN | EdinaMN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 46,529 | 46,533 | 49,366 | 54,356 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $218,046 | Not confirmed | $240,525 | $220,084 |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $7,500 | $14,860 |
| General fund per resident | $846 | $891 | $871 | $1,302 |
| Debt per resident | $1,575 | $6,196 | $788 | $3,473 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $266 | $321 | $204 | $369 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 6.7 | 6.4 | 3.7 | 6.7 |
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 Shakopee 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 employment agreement online. The city posts only his base salary on its Human Resources page. City of Shakopee · Oct 10, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes online City of Shakopee · Oct 10, 2026
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe council page lists yearly salaries of $15,000 for the mayor and $7,500 for council members. City of Shakopee · Oct 10, 2026
- Partly: Employee pay published City of Shakopee · Oct 10, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- Unassigned general fund reserves were $23.1 million at the end of 2025, 53.6% of the 2026 budget and above the city's 35% to 50% target. How should the extra be used in the 2027 budget?
- The preliminary 2027 city levy is $30.1 million, up 6.85%, with about half of the increase for full-time fire staffing. How will the city cover its SAFER grant match when it rises to 65% in the third year?
- The general fund spent $40.5 million in 2025 and the 2026 budget is $43.0 million. Which costs grow fastest after the move to a full-time fire department?
- The city owed $38.9 million in general obligation bonds at the end of 2025 and issued none that year. Does the capital plan expect new borrowing?
The fiscal year starts January 1. The council adopted the preliminary 2027 maximum levy on September 15, 2026. A public meeting on the levy and budget is set for December 1, 2026, and final adoption for December 15, 2026. The 2026 budget and levy were adopted December 16, 2025. See who is running for council
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