How Bellevue is run
Who runs Bellevue, 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 Bellevue's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Bellevue
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
Bellevue city staff
The City Administrator oversees more than 500 employees, per the city. The compensation ordinance publishes pay ranges for unclassified jobs, not individual pay. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Bellevue 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's long-range forecast projects relatively flat revenue growth in the near term before improving. The FY2026-27 general fund budget draws $5.4M from cash reserves, and recent state guidance points to lower state aid. City of Bellevue Finance Department · Sep 1, 2026
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $24.7M (2025-09-30). The city's own target: The budget presentation says the city aims to hold fund balances within Council policy targets, but we found no stated target. Unassigned fund balance equaled 22.7% of FY2024-25 general fund spending. City of Bellevue · May 1, 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 FY2026-27.
Comes from
- Bond and lease proceeds$74.3M · 45%
- Property taxes$36.9M · 22%
- Sales taxes$21.5M · 13%
- State aid$8.9M · 5%
- Fees, permits and licenses$7.9M · 5%
- Grants and cost sharing$4.4M · 3%
- Other (occupation taxes, other revenue, transfers in)$5.8M · 4%
- Drawn from general fund cash reserves$5.4M · 3%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Capital projects$82.6M · 50%
- Salaries and wages$40.8M · 25%
- Department operating costs$18.2M · 11%
- Benefits (payroll taxes, pension, health insurance)$14.5M · 9%
- All other$8.9M · 5%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Bellevue is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityCity of BellevueCity of Bellevue · May 1, 2026
- Trash and recyclingContractorPapillion Sanitation and Recycling ServicesCity contract for single-family and duplex homes.City of Bellevue
- ElectricitySeparate districtOmaha Public Power District (OPPD)Franchise to provide electric distribution, renewed to 2036.City of Bellevue Finance Department · Sep 1, 2026
- LibraryThe cityCity of BellevueCity of Bellevue · May 1, 2026
- StreetsThe cityCity of BellevueCity of Bellevue · May 1, 2026
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of BellevueCity of Bellevue · May 1, 2026
- Animal controlContractorNebraska Humane SocietyAgreement with the city and Sarpy County.City of Bellevue Finance Department · Sep 1, 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 | FremontNE | KearneyNE | Grand IslandNE | BellevueNE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 28,350 | 34,782 | 53,943 | 64,863 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | $195,000 | $254,000 | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $7,800 | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $1,827 | $1,173 | $1,208 | $2,543 |
| Debt per resident | $4,239 | $3,359 | $1,316 | $1,515 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $0 | $0 | $6 | $39 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | — | 10.4 | — | — |
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 Bellevue 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 Bellevue Finance Department · Sep 1, 2026
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineThe compensation ordinance lists the City Administrator's pay as set by contract. We found no posted contract. City of Bellevue · Oct 6, 2026
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineCouncil minutes list each member's roll call vote, such as the 5-0 budget adoption on September 15, 2026. City of Bellevue · Oct 6, 2026
- Partly: Council pay stated in a public document City of Bellevue Finance Department · Sep 1, 2026
- Partly: Employee pay publishedThe compensation ordinance publishes monthly and hourly pay ranges for unclassified positions. Union and contract pay is set by contract. City of Bellevue · Oct 6, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The FY2026-27 general fund budget of $165.0M relies on $74.3M of bond and lease proceeds and draws $5.4M from cash reserves. How long can reserves cover gaps if state aid keeps falling?
- The FY2025 audit reported a material weakness in capital asset records. What has the finance office changed to fix it?
- Unassigned general fund reserves were $24.7M on September 30, 2025, 22.7% of that year's spending. What written target does the council use?
The fiscal year starts October 1. The City Administrator submits a proposed budget to the Mayor and Council. For FY2026-27 the council held the budget hearing on September 1, 2026 and adopted the budget and property tax levy on September 15, 2026. See who is running for council
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Every number here was checked by hand against the linked document. Cities publish on different schedules, so years differ between sections; each figure says which year it describes. Spotted something wrong or out of date?
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