How Fremont is run
Who runs Fremont, 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 Fremont's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Fremont
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
Fremont city staff
The council adopts a salary ordinance with a pay grade and hourly steps for each position. We found no published list of individual employee pay. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Fremont 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 two-year budget adopted in 2025 included a planned general fund deficit for FY2026-27. In September 2026 the city amended that year's budget to recognize more revenue, including a food and beverage tax rate increase from 1% to 2% and a higher property tax request of $8,041,174.67. Finance staff said this reduces the planned deficit and that total spending is unchanged. Staff estimate 2027 property tax revenue covers about 57% of police and fire costs. City of Fremont · Sep 8, 2026
Savings
Unassigned general fund balance: $8.5M (2025-09-30). City of Fremont · Mar 31, 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 (adopted September 2025, before the September 2026 amendment).
Comes from
- Transfers in from other city funds$24.4M · 47%
- Fund balance used$12.3M · 24%
- Property tax$7.2M · 14%
- Sanitation charges$1.9M · 4%
- Rescue squad income$1.3M · 3%
- Garbage hauler tax$780,000 · 2%
- Food and beverage tax$700,000 · 1%
- Other$3.2M · 6%
Goes to (FY2026-27 (adopted budget))
- Police$18.2M · 35%
- Fire$12.6M · 24%
- Parks$4.7M · 9%
- Solid waste$2.4M · 5%
- Information technology$2.2M · 4%
- Library$1.7M · 3%
- Administration$1.7M · 3%
- Other$8.2M · 16%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Rates are from the state's 2025 list of taxing subdivisions. For FY2026-27 the city proposed raising its levy to 0.265449.
16¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Fremont
- Fremont Public Schools0.890128 · 55%
- City of Fremont0.260543 · 16%
- Dodge County0.220731 · 14%
- Fremont Public Schools bonds0.174336 · 11%
- Lower Platte North Natural Resources District0.024053 · 1%
- Metropolitan Community College0.02 · 1%
- Educational Service Unit 20.015 · <1%
- Dodge County Ag Society0.002294 · <1%
- Total ($ per $100 of taxable value)1.607085
2025 rates for a home in the city of Fremont, inside Fremont Public Schools (Dodge County). Nebraska Department of Revenue · Dec 31, 2025
Who provides your services
Not everything in Fremont is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityFremont Police DepartmentCity of Fremont
- ElectricityThe cityCity of Fremont Department of UtilitiesCity of Fremont · Mar 31, 2026
- Natural gasThe cityCity of Fremont Department of UtilitiesCity of Fremont · Mar 31, 2026
- WaterThe cityCity of Fremont Department of UtilitiesCity of Fremont · Mar 31, 2026
- SewerThe cityCity of Fremont Department of UtilitiesCity of Fremont · Mar 31, 2026
- StreetsThe cityStreet DepartmentCity of Fremont
- LibraryThe cityKeene Memorial LibraryCity of Fremont
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of FremontCity of Fremont · Mar 31, 2026
- Public transitThe cityCity of FremontCity of Fremont · Mar 31, 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 | HastingsNE | PapillionNE | NorfolkNE | FremontNE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 25,121 | 25,127 | 26,677 | 28,350 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | $5,000 | Not confirmed | Not current (2022) | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $1,439 | $1,892 | $1,440 | $1,827 |
| Debt per resident | $472 | $3,751 | $2,354 | $4,239 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $3 | $0 | $-0 | $0 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 17.5 | 13.2 | 9.9 | — |
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).
What Fremont 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 on the city website or in 2024 to 2026 council agenda packets. City of Fremont
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineCouncil minutes list each member's vote by name. City of Fremont · Sep 2, 2025
- Partly: Employee pay published City of Fremont · Aug 25, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- Unassigned general fund reserves were $8.5 million on September 30, 2025, after the fund balance fell $5.4 million that year. How will the city keep its two-month minimum cash reserve as projects continue?
- Staff estimate property tax will cover about 57% of police and fire costs in 2027. Which other revenues should cover the rest?
- Utility revenue bonds were $113.2 million on September 30, 2025. How will planned utility projects affect electric, gas, water and sewer rates?
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