How Germantown is run
Who runs Germantown, 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 Germantown's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Germantown
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
Germantown city staff
451 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police 137, Fire 79, Ambulance 19. FY2026-27. City of Germantown · Jun 22, 2026
The budget shows staff counts and salary totals by department. Tennessee has no statewide pay database, and we found no city pay list by position. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Germantown 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 calls the FY2027 budget structurally balanced. Its five-year plan draws on general fund reserves for capital projects each year, and projects the fund balance falling from $48.2 million to $35.3 million by FY2030-31. City of Germantown · Jun 22, 2026
Savings
Unassigned general fund balance: $18.7M (2025-06-30). City of Germantown · Dec 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
- Property taxes$48.5M · 57%
- Sales taxes$22.1M · 26%
- Federal and state revenues$6.9M · 8%
- Transfers in$1.8M · 2%
- Investment income$1.6M · 2%
- Other (licenses, fees and other)$4.2M · 5%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Public safety$34.4M · 42%
- General government$24.4M · 30%
- Community services$7.3M · 9%
- Debt service$4.5M · 5%
- Transportation$4M · 5%
- Other (mostly transfers to schools, street aid and ambulance funds)$7.9M · 10%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Of each property-tax dollar a Germantown homeowner paid in FY2024-25, about 35 cents went to the city and 65 cents to Shelby County, including its education rate. After the 2025 reappraisal the city rate was set at $1.79 for FY2025-26.
35¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Germantown
- City of Germantown1.838 · 35%
- Shelby County general fund1.4 · 27%
- Shelby County education1.54 · 29%
- Shelby County debt service0.45 · 9%
- Total ($ per $100 of assessed value)5.228
FY2024-25 property tax rates for a home in Germantown (Shelby County). City of Germantown · Dec 26, 2025
See what a Germantown home costs each year, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Germantown is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityGermantown Police DepartmentCity of Germantown · Dec 26, 2025
- FireThe cityGermantown Fire DepartmentCity of Germantown · Dec 26, 2025
- Ambulance and EMSThe cityGermantown Fire Department (Ambulance Fund)Advanced life support and ambulance transport.City of Germantown · Jun 22, 2026
- 911 dispatchThe cityCity 911 Communications DivisionCity of Germantown · Jun 22, 2026
- WaterThe cityCity of GermantownCity of Germantown · Dec 26, 2025
- SewerThe cityCity of GermantownSewage is treated by the City of Memphis.City of Germantown · Dec 26, 2025
- Trash and recyclingContractorWaste ProCity contract; FY2027 is the first year of a new contract.City of Germantown · Jun 22, 2026
- SchoolsSeparate districtGermantown Municipal School DistrictThree schools in the city remain under the Shelby County Board of Education.City of Germantown · Dec 26, 2025
- LibraryContractorAvenu Insight and Analytics, LLCCity of Germantown · Jun 22, 2026
- Streets and drainageThe cityCity of GermantownCity of Germantown · Dec 26, 2025
- Bus serviceAnother agencyMemphis Area Transit AuthorityCity of Germantown · Dec 26, 2025
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 | Oak RidgeTN | GermantownTN | La VergneTN | Mount JulietTN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 35,395 | 40,001 | 42,146 | 45,172 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $245,315 | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $197,600 |
| Council member pay | $1,800 | $18,000 | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $2,306 | $2,064 | $1,057 | $1,364 |
| Debt per resident | $4,630 | $1,498 | $692 | $934 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $321 | $1,647 | $0 | $126 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 11.3 | 7.0 | — |
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 Germantown 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 finance page, the budget book or the meeting archive. City of Germantown
- Partly: Meeting videos and minutes online City of Germantown
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe budget states the per diem: $1,500 a month per alderman and $3,500 a month for the mayor, set by Ordinance 2021-14. City of Germantown · Jun 22, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The five-year plan projects general fund balance falling from $48.2 million to $35.3 million by FY2030-31 as reserves pay for capital projects. What level will the board stop at?
- In FY2024-25 the general fund took in $7.3 million more than it spent but moved $14.7 million to other funds. Which transfers will continue?
The fiscal year starts July 1. The board passes the budget ordinance on three readings with a public hearing. For FY2027: first reading May 11, 2026, public hearing and second reading June 8, and third reading June 22, 2026. See who is running for council
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