How Reno is run
Who runs Reno, 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 Reno's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Reno
A city manager hired by the council runs the city day to day. The council sets policy, adopts the budget and sets the tax rate.
What they are paid
- Management-level city benefits, including medical, dental, retirement and deferred compensation
- $500 a month car allowance
- City buys one year of Nevada PERS service credit for each full year of service
- 12 months' salary as severance if the council ends the contract for convenience
- Term extends one year each July 1 unless either side gives notice
Reno city staff
1,504 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police 453, Fire 337. FY2026-27 adopted budget. City of Reno · May 20, 2026
The budget lists authorized positions by department and job title. We found no city-published list of pay by employee. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Reno 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 says it faced a structural deficit for FY2026-27, driven by rising labor costs, inflation and slow revenue growth. It closed the gap with one-time and ongoing changes, including position cuts and a one-time use of $4M of fund balance. The budget plans for the general fund balance to fall from $52.6M to $48.6M by June 30, 2027. City of Reno · May 20, 2026
Savings
Unassigned general fund balance: $37.7M (2025-06-30). City of Reno · Nov 26, 2025
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
- Consolidated tax (CTAX)$107M · 32%
- Property tax$93.4M · 28%
- Franchise fees$39.6M · 12%
- Business licenses and permits$33.4M · 10%
- Charges for services$22.6M · 7%
- Miscellaneous$12.3M · 4%
- Intergovernmental$11.6M · 3%
- Other (fines, special assessments, other financing sources)$11.8M · 4%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Public safety$221M · 66%
- General government$44.9M · 13%
- Culture and recreation$19M · 6%
- Judicial (municipal court)$12.1M · 4%
- Community support$11.5M · 3%
- Public works$10.8M · 3%
- Intergovernmental$10M · 3%
- Other (transfers out and debt service)$6.1M · 2%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
About 26 cents of each property-tax dollar goes to the city ($0.9598 of $3.66 per $100 of assessed value). The city has no separate debt-service rate. Nevada caps yearly increases in each owner's tax, so actual bills can be lower.
26¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Reno
- Washoe County1.3917 · 38%
- Washoe County School District1.1385 · 31%
- City of Reno0.9598 · 26%
- State of Nevada0.17 · 5%
- Total ($ per $100 of assessed value)3.66
FY2024-25 rates for property in the city of Reno (Washoe County). City of Reno · Nov 26, 2025
See what a Reno home costs each year, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Reno is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityReno Police DepartmentCity of Reno · Nov 26, 2025
- FireThe cityReno Fire DepartmentCity of Reno · Nov 26, 2025
- Emergency medical responseThe cityReno Fire DepartmentCity of Reno · May 20, 2026
- 911 dispatchThe cityReno Public Safety DispatchCity of Reno · May 20, 2026
- Sewer and wastewater treatmentThe cityCity of Reno; treatment plant co-owned with SparksReno owns about 68.63% of the Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility, which Sparks operates.City of Reno · Nov 26, 2025
- WaterAnother agencyTruckee Meadows Water AuthorityCity of Reno · Nov 26, 2025
- StreetsThe cityCity Public WorksCity of Reno · May 20, 2026
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity Parks & RecreationCity of Reno · May 20, 2026
- Municipal courtThe cityReno Municipal CourtCity of Reno · May 20, 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 | RenoNV | North Las VegasNV | HendersonNV | Las VegasNV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 283,621 | 296,653 | 353,289 | 679,817 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $368,728 | $322,000 | $310,000 | $360,000 |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $1,182 | $930 | $1,191 | $1,169 |
| Debt per resident | $1,645 | $1,125 | $1,284 | $775 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $1,267 | $1,083 | $1,539 | $886 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 5.3 | 6.6 | 7.3 | 5.7 |
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). Las Vegas pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Reno publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: City manager's contract findable online City of Reno · Dec 11, 2024
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineThe budget resolution lists each member's vote: adopted 7-0 on May 20, 2026. City of Reno · May 20, 2026
- No: Council pay stated in a public documentThe city charter says the council fixes its own salary. We found no readable city document stating the amount. Reno City Charter (Nevada Legislature)
- No: Employee pay publishedThe budget book lists authorized positions by department and job title but not pay. We found no city list of pay by employee. City of Reno · May 20, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The FY2026-27 budget used a one-time $4M of fund balance and plans for the general fund balance to fall from $52.6M to $48.6M. How will the city balance FY2027-28 without more one-time money?
- The city's share of Nevada PERS's net pension liability was $359.4M on June 30, 2025. How much will employer pension contributions rise in the coming years?
- Bonds and notes outstanding were $466.5M on June 30, 2025. What new borrowing does the capital plan expect?
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