How Live Oak is run
Who runs Live Oak, 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 Live Oak's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Live Oak
A city manager appointed by the council runs the city day to day. The council, a mayor and five members all elected at large, sets policy, passes ordinances and adopts the budget. The mayor presides and votes only to break a tie.
What they are paid
Live Oak city staff
122 full-time-equivalent positions. FY2025-26. Full-time equivalents in the FY2025-26 adopted budget. The FY2026-27 budget adds no positions. City of Live Oak
The budget publishes pay ranges by job title, not individual pay. Texas has no statewide city pay database. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Live Oak 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 budget message says the city remains in a strong and stable financial position. The FY2026-27 budget uses $2.08M of general fund reserves, down from $2.54M budgeted the year before, and staff proposed using reserves for one-time spending and emergency maintenance. The city says its fund balance equaled 10 months of operating spending on Sept. 30, 2025. City of Live Oak
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $13.4M (2025-09-30). The city's own target: A city fiscal policy recommends keeping at least six months of general fund operating spending in reserves. The FY2025 audit says the unassigned fund balance equaled about 10 months of operating spending. City of Live Oak · Jan 19, 2026
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
- Sales and mixed beverage taxes$8.9M · 42%
- Property tax$6.4M · 30%
- Use of reserves (fund balance)$2.1M · 10%
- Franchise fees$1.5M · 7%
- Interest and miscellaneous$633,500 · 3%
- Fines and forfeitures$546,000 · 3%
- Transfers in from other funds$454,000 · 2%
- Other (permits, dispatch fees from other agencies, service fees)$620,000 · 3%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$6.1M · 29%
- Fire and EMS$4M · 19%
- Public works$1.7M · 8%
- Emergency dispatch (communication services)$1.2M · 5%
- Transfers to other funds$1.1M · 5%
- Street maintenance$1.1M · 5%
- Parks maintenance$1M · 5%
- Other (finance, IT, city secretary, administration, court, community development, animal control, recreation, council)$5.1M · 24%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Of the city, county and school tax rate a Live Oak homeowner in Judson ISD pays, about 24 cents per dollar goes to the city. Part of the city is in North East ISD, and other districts not in these files also tax property. For FY2026-27 the city adopted a rate of 39.88 cents, up from 38.67 cents.
24¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Live Oak
- Judson ISD (schools)Operations 0.6669 plus debt 0.3127.0.9796 · 60%
- City of Live Oak (operations)0.31227 · 19%
- Bexar County0.276331 · 17%
- City of Live Oak (debt)0.074464 · 5%
- Total ($ per $100 of taxable value)1.642665
2025 tax year (FY2025-26) rates for a home in the city of Live Oak (Bexar County, Judson ISD): city, county and school district. Texas Comptroller · Jan 28, 2026
Who provides your services
Not everything in Live Oak is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityLive Oak Police DepartmentCity of Live Oak · Jan 19, 2026
- FireThe cityLive Oak Fire Department (Fire & EMS Services)City of Live Oak
- EMS (ambulance)Another agencySchertz EMSLive Oak Fire Department gives first response.City of Live Oak
- Emergency dispatchThe cityLive Oak Communication Services (police department)Also dispatches for Selma and the Judson ISD police.City of Live Oak
- WaterThe cityCity of Live Oak (water utility)San Antonio Water System serves the rest of the city.City of Live Oak · Jan 19, 2026
- Sewage treatmentContractorSan Antonio River Authority, Cibolo Creek Municipal Authority and San Antonio Water SystemThe city runs water and wastewater service and contracts out transport, treatment and disposal.City of Live Oak · Jan 19, 2026
- Trash collectionContractorFrontier Waste Solutions (city franchise)In September 2026 the council voted 3-1 to award Frontier a five-year franchise. WM held the franchise in FY2025.City of Live Oak · Jan 19, 2026
- StreetsThe cityLive Oak Public Works, Street Maintenance divisionCity of Live Oak
- ParksThe cityLive Oak Public Works, Parks Maintenance divisionOver 100 acres of city parkland.City of Live Oak
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 | RobinsonTX | BudaTX | GatesvilleTX | Live OakTX |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 13,028 | 16,166 | 16,422 | 16,426 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $137,000 | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $883 | $1,398 | $592 | $1,288 |
| Debt per resident | $5,889 | $13,626 | $1,201 | $1,241 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $216 | $160 | $119 | $399 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 5.9 | 9.4 | 5.8 | 7.4 |
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). Robinson and Buda pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Live Oak publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Audited financial report filed on timeThe FY2025 audited report, dated Jan. 19, 2026, is posted on the city's budget and financial report page. City of Live Oak · Jan 19, 2026
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineThe FY2026-27 adopted budget, budget ordinance and tax rate ordinance are posted on the finance page. City of Live Oak
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineCouncil minutes refer to an employment agreement, but we found no posted contract. The budget shows only the job's pay range. City of Live Oak
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineCouncil minutes in posted agenda packets list each member's vote. The budget cover page records the budget vote by name. City of Live Oak
- Partly: Council pay stated in a public documentThe charter lets council set its pay. The budget shows a combined $10,000 council compensation line, not a per-member rate. City of Live Oak
- Partly: Employee pay published City of Live Oak
Questions to ask your council
- Unassigned general fund reserves were $13.4 million on September 30, 2025, about 10 months of spending, against a policy minimum of six months. The FY2026-27 budget uses $2.08 million of reserves. What reserve level is the council aiming for over the next few years?
- Sales and mixed beverage taxes bring in $8.9 million in FY2026-27, more than property tax. How would the budget adjust if sales tax keeps slowing?
- Police ($6.07 million) and fire and EMS ($4.04 million) are the two largest general fund departments in FY2026-27. How are staffing needs for each projected?
- The city's pension plan was $6.55 million short of its liability on December 31, 2024, and 89.73% funded. Will the city resume extra payments toward the shortfall?
The fiscal year starts Oct. 1. Departments submit requests in May and June, and the council holds budget workshops in July and August. The charter has the council adopt the budget by Sept. 20. For FY2026-27, the proposed budget was posted Aug. 7, the public hearing was Sept. 8 and adoption was set for Sept. 15, 2026. See who is running for council
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