How Mt. Juliet is run
Who runs Mt. Juliet, 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 Mt. Juliet's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 11, 2026.
Who runs Mt. Juliet
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
- Six months' salary as severance if let go without good cause
- Can be removed at any time by a four-fifths vote of the board
- Four weeks of vacation a year
- City gas card, and may drive a city vehicle on city business
- Same health, dental and vision insurance as other full-time city employees
- Eligible for the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS)
Mt. Juliet city staff
Tennessee has no statewide pay database, and we found no city-published pay list by position. The budget shows salary totals by department. The city's pension plan counted 274 active employees at June 30, 2024. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Mt. Juliet 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: $23.1M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: We found no written minimum reserve target. The audit describes how fund balance is classified, and the budget reports the general fund's ending balance as a percent of appropriations (25% projected for June 30, 2027). City of Mt. Juliet · Dec 29, 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
- Local taxes (sales, property, business and other)$40.4M · 66%
- Intergovernmental (state shared taxes)$9.6M · 16%
- Permits and fees$6.7M · 11%
- Miscellaneous$3.3M · 5%
- Other (fines and grants)$1.3M · 2%
- From savings (fund balance)$318,040 · 1%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Public safety (police, fire, EMS)$37.4M · 61%
- General government$9.3M · 15%
- Transfers to other funds (debt service, capital projects, street aid)$7.1M · 12%
- Public works$3.4M · 6%
- Parks and recreation$2.5M · 4%
- Community development$1.9M · 3%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Mt. Juliet is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityMt. Juliet Police DepartmentCity of Mt. Juliet · Dec 29, 2025
- FireThe cityMt. Juliet Fire DepartmentCity of Mt. Juliet · Dec 29, 2025
- EMS / ambulanceThe cityMt. Juliet Fire Department, EMS divisionBegan service in March 2023; supports the county EMS when necessaryCity of Mt. Juliet · Dec 29, 2025
- City streetsThe cityCity of Mt. Juliet Public WorksCity of Mt. Juliet
- Animal control and city courtThe cityCity of Mt. JulietCity of Mt. Juliet
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 Mt. Juliet publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineThe FY2026-27 adopted budget document is posted on the Finance Department page, with past years back to FY2020-21. City of Mt. Juliet
- Yes: City manager's contract findable onlineThe 2023 agreement (Resolution 40-2023) and the 2025 salary amendment are attached to items in the city's Legistar system. City of Mt. Juliet
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member online City of Mt. Juliet
- No: Employee pay publishedWe found no city-published pay list by position on the Finance page or in the budget. Tennessee has no statewide database. City of Mt. Juliet
Questions to ask your council
- Debt stood at $42.2 million on June 30, 2025, and the FY2027 budget lists new 2026 general obligation bonds. How will the added payments fit in the general fund?
- Voters decide on Nov. 3, 2026 whether to repeal home rule. What would change for the board and for city revenue if it passes?
Help decide what comes next
What do you want to know about Mt. Juliet 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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