How Paris is run
Who runs Paris, 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 Paris's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Paris
A five-member City Commission sets policy and adopts the budget. The commission appoints a city manager, who runs daily operations and department heads.
What they are paid
Paris city staff
141 full-time-equivalent positions. FY2026-27. City of Paris · Jun 4, 2026
Tennessee has no statewide pay database. The budget shows salary totals by department, not pay by position. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Paris 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: $8.7M (2024-06-30). City of Paris · Jan 24, 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 and other)$12.3M · 38%
- State and federal funds$8.8M · 27%
- Draw on fund balance$6.9M · 21%
- Other revenue, incl. $2 million interim financing$3.6M · 11%
- Charges for services$920,950 · 3%
- Other$140,750 · 0%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Community development projects$15.5M · 48%
- Police$3.1M · 9%
- Fire$2.5M · 8%
- Street maintenance$2M · 6%
- State street aid (paving)$1.8M · 5%
- Parks and recreation$1.3M · 4%
- Central dispatch$1.2M · 4%
- Other$5.1M · 16%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Paris is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityCity of Paris Police DepartmentCity of Paris · Jan 24, 2025
- FireThe cityCity of Paris Fire DepartmentCity of Paris · Jan 24, 2025
- StreetsThe cityCity of ParisCity of Paris · Jan 24, 2025
- Trash collectionThe cityCity of ParisCity of Paris · Jan 24, 2025
- LandfillThe cityCity of Paris, with Henry CountyThe city manages the Paris-Henry County Landfill as an enterprise fund.City of Paris · Mar 5, 2026
- Electricity, water and sewerAnother agencyParis Utility Authority (Paris Board of Public Utilities)A component unit of the city; the commission appoints its board.City of Paris · Jan 24, 2025
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of ParisCity of Paris · Jan 24, 2025
- Building inspection, planning and zoningThe cityCity of ParisCity of Paris · Jan 24, 2025
- CemeteriesThe cityCity of ParisCity of Paris · Jan 24, 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 | ClintonTN | ParisTN | Union CityTN | FairviewTN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 10,466 | 10,468 | 10,814 | 10,877 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $157,200 |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $1,545 | $3,110 | $1,791 | $1,334 |
| Debt per resident | $704 | $236 | $1,235 | $958 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $-457 | $-82 | $83 | $186 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 36.5 | 13.5 | — | — |
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 Paris publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineThe FY2027 budget book is on the city website; the commission adopted it June 4, 2026. City of Paris · Jul 1, 2026
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineNo posted contract. August 2024 minutes say the old contract had expired and a new one would be drafted. City of Paris · Aug 1, 2024
- No: Council pay stated in a public documentWe found no commissioner pay in the budget book or minutes. City of Paris · Jul 1, 2026
- No: Employee pay publishedThe budget shows salary totals by department, not pay by position. City of Paris · Jul 1, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The property tax rate rose from $0.5703 to $0.6703 per $100 for FY2027 to add five positions. How will those positions be paid for in later years?
- The FY2025 audit was presented on March 5, 2026. When will it be posted online?
Fiscal year starts July 1. The city manager presents the budget ordinance and the property tax rate ordinance in May; the commission passes both on first reading in May and second reading in early June (June 4 in 2026). See who is running for council
Help decide what comes next
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