How Paramus is run
Who runs Paramus, 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 Paramus's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 11, 2026.
Who runs Paramus
Paramus has an elected mayor and council. The mayor serves a four-year term, is the chief executive, presides over meetings and makes appointments that the council confirms. Six council members are elected at large for three-year terms. The council appoints a Borough Administrator who runs day-to-day operations.
What they are paid
Paramus city staff
Neither the 2026 budget nor the 2023 audit states a total head count. The salary ordinance sets pay ranges by position; we found no list of individual employee pay. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Paramus 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
Unassigned general fund balance: $5.5M (2023-12-31). Borough of Paramus · Jan 1, 2024
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 2026.
Comes from
- Property tax for municipal purposes$68.5M · 70%
- Surplus (fund balance) used$6.5M · 7%
- Library property tax$4.6M · 5%
- State aid (energy receipts tax)$4.1M · 4%
- Construction code fees$2.4M · 2%
- Delinquent taxes$1.6M · 2%
- Other (Valley Hospital fee, ambulance fees, investment interest, sewer charges and others)$10.5M · 11%
Goes to (2026)
- Police salaries$19.4M · 20%
- Employee health insurance$14.9M · 15%
- State pension contributions (PFRS and PERS)$8.7M · 9%
- Debt service$5.4M · 6%
- Public library$4.6M · 5%
- Sewage treatment (Bergen County Utilities Authority)$3.9M · 4%
- Other (administration, dispatch, EMS, public works, trash, recreation, reserve for uncollected taxes and others)$41.1M · 42%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Paramus is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityParamus Police DepartmentBorough of Paramus · Jul 22, 2026
- 911 dispatchThe cityParamus Police DispatchBorough of Paramus · Jul 22, 2026
- FireThe cityParamus Fire Department (volunteer)Borough of Paramus · Jan 1, 2024
- Emergency medical servicesThe cityParamus Emergency Medical ServicesBorough of Paramus · Jul 22, 2026
- Trash and recyclingThe cityBorough of Paramus Public WorksBorough of Paramus · Jul 22, 2026
- StreetsThe cityBorough of Paramus Public WorksBorough of Paramus · Jul 22, 2026
- Sewage treatmentSeparate districtBergen County Utilities AuthorityThe borough charges sewer user fees.Borough of Paramus · Jul 22, 2026
- Golf courseThe cityBorough of Paramus golf course utilityBorough of Paramus · Jul 22, 2026
- Swimming poolThe cityBorough of Paramus swim pool utilityBorough of Paramus · Jul 22, 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 | SummitNJ | GlassboroNJ | ParamusNJ | RahwayNJ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 23,314 | 24,483 | 26,723 | 31,010 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $2,721 | $1,401 | $3,672 | $2,574 |
| Debt per resident | $3,390 | $1,856 | $1,682 | $2,892 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $1,588 | $1,108 | $2,325 | $1,359 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | — | — | — | — |
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 Paramus 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 council approved the administrator's contract on January 5, 2026, but the contract is not posted. The salary ordinance gives only a range. Borough of Paramus · Jan 5, 2026
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineMinutes list each member's yes and no votes by name. Borough of Paramus · Jan 5, 2026
- Partly: Council pay stated in a public documentThe 2026 salary ordinance gives pay ranges for the mayor and council, not the actual amounts. Borough of Paramus · Jun 25, 2026
- Partly: Employee pay publishedThe 2026 salary ordinance sets pay ranges by position. We found no list of individual employee pay. Borough of Paramus · Jun 25, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The 2026 budget uses $6,461,334 of surplus as revenue, more than the audited Current Fund balance of $5,511,363 on December 31, 2023. How will the borough keep its surplus from shrinking?
- Paramus' share of state pension liabilities was $62.1 million at June 30, 2025, and the 2026 budget sets $8.7 million of pension contributions. How will those costs fit into future budgets?
- Employee health insurance is budgeted at $14.9 million in 2026. What steps are planned to slow those costs?
- The borough had $44.95 million of bonds and notes on December 31, 2024. How much more borrowing is planned for roads, the golf course and other projects?
Help decide what comes next
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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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