How La Vergne is run
Who runs La Vergne, 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 La Vergne's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs La Vergne
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
La Vergne city staff
293 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police (69 officers, 24 civilians) 93, Fire 70, Water and sewer 32, Streets and stormwater 26. 2024-06-30. Full-time equivalent city employees on June 30, 2024, up from 208 in 2015. City of La Vergne · Dec 7, 2024
The budget shows salaries by department. The city posts a pay scale by grade and step, but we found no pay list by position or employee. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is La Vergne 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 against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $43.7M (2024-06-30). The city's own target: Keep unassigned general fund balance equal to three to four months of expenditures. Unassigned balance was 83% of general fund spending on June 30, 2024. City of La Vergne · Dec 7, 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 FY2026-27.
Comes from
- Local sales tax$19M · 41%
- Property tax$9.5M · 21%
- Bond issue$6.1M · 13%
- State sales tax share$5M · 11%
- Business tax$1.9M · 4%
- Interest earnings$700,000 · 2%
- Wholesale beer tax$580,000 · 1%
- Other$3.1M · 7%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$13.8M · 31%
- Fire$9M · 20%
- City buildings (includes $4.7 million in capital projects)$5.4M · 12%
- Transfers to other funds$2.5M · 6%
- Recreation$2.1M · 5%
- Debt service$1.6M · 4%
- Codes administration$1.2M · 3%
- Other$9M · 20%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Of each property-tax dollar a La Vergne homeowner paid in FY2023-24, about 22 cents went to the city and 78 cents to Rutherford County. There is no separate school district rate. The FY2026-27 budget uses a city rate of $0.4359.
22¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of La Vergne
- Rutherford County1.8762 · 78%
- City of La Vergne0.5363 · 22%
- Total ($ per $100 of assessed value)2.4125
FY2023-24 property tax rates for a home in La Vergne (Rutherford County). City of La Vergne · Dec 7, 2024
See what a La Vergne home costs each year, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in La Vergne is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityLa Vergne Police DepartmentCity of La Vergne · Dec 7, 2024
- FireThe cityLa Vergne Fire DepartmentAlso answers first responder medical calls.City of La Vergne · Jul 1, 2026
- Water and sewerThe cityCity of La Vergne (water and sewer utility, with its own water treatment plant)City of La Vergne · Dec 7, 2024
- StreetsThe cityCity of La VergneCity of La Vergne · Jul 1, 2026
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of La VergneCity of La Vergne · Jul 1, 2026
- LibraryThe cityLa Vergne Public Library (city)City of La Vergne · Jul 1, 2026
- Planning and zoningThe cityCity of La VergneCity of La Vergne · Dec 7, 2024
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 | GermantownTN | La VergneTN | Mount JulietTN | ColumbiaTN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 40,001 | 42,146 | 45,172 | 50,072 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $197,600 | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | $18,000 | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $2,064 | $1,057 | $1,364 | $1,027 |
| Debt per resident | $1,498 | $692 | $934 | $2,055 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $1,647 | $0 | $126 | $688 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 11.3 | 7.0 | — | 8.3 |
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 La Vergne publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- No: Audited financial report filed on timeThe latest audit we found is for FY2023-24, dated December 7, 2024. We found no FY2024-25 audit on the city site or the state Comptroller's list. City of La Vergne
- Yes: Adopted budget posted online City of La Vergne · Jul 1, 2026
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineWe found no City Administrator contract or pay resolution on the city site or in recent meeting packets. City of La Vergne
- Partly: Council votes recorded member by member onlineMinutes in posted meeting packets list roll-call votes by name on ordinances. Other motions are recorded as adopted with all voting AYE. City of La Vergne · Oct 6, 2026
- Partly: Council pay stated in a public document City of La Vergne · Jul 1, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- Unassigned general fund reserves were $43.7 million on June 30, 2024, 83% of general fund spending, against a goal of three to four months of spending. What is the plan for the amount above the goal?
- The FY2024-25 audit was due by December 31, 2025, and we did not find it posted. When will it be filed and published?
- The FY2026-27 general fund budget counts a $6.1 million bond issue as revenue. What will the bonds pay for, and how will they be repaid?
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