How Odessa is run

Who runs Odessa, 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 Odessa's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.

Who runs Odessa

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.

You vote forThe city council: 7 membersMayor Cal Hendrick.

The council hires and can fireCity Manager · City Attorney · City SecretaryCity Manager: Aaron Smith, since Dec 1, 2025

The city manager hiresEveryone else: department heads, police and fire chiefs where the city has them, and all staff

City of Odessa · Mar 26, 2026

What they are paid

City manager Aaron Smith: base pay$280,0002025-12-01. Base salary in the agreement effective Dec. 1, 2025, paid every two weeks. City of Odessa

In the contract

$600 a month car allowance
City pays family health and dental coverage on the Gold Plan
Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS) retirement benefits
Two months of Unileave at the start, then 176 hours a year

A council memberNot confirmedFY2026-27. City of Odessa

The mayorNot confirmedFY2026-27. City of Odessa

Odessa city staff

1,129 full-time-equivalent positions, including Fire 267, Police 217, Water and sewer 136. FY2026-27 adopted. City of Odessa

The budget lists full-time positions by department. We found no city-published pay list by position or employee. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.

Is Odessa 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.

General fund, FY2026-27$156MOut of $391M across all city funds, which includes utilities and other money that can only be spent on one thing. City of Odessa

Savings shrank, FY2024-25 (audited)−$47.8MGeneral fund revenue $139M, spending $110M. General fund revenue was $28.6 million above spending. A $76.4 million transfer to the capital projects fund for a sports complex project left the general fund balance down $47.8 million. City of Odessa · Mar 26, 2026

Savings

Unassigned general fund balance: $105M (2025-09-30). City of Odessa · Mar 26, 2026

Pension promises not yet funded$122MNet pension liability for the city's two plans: the Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS), for all employees except firefighters, $26.1 million and 92.25% funded; and the Odessa Firefighters' Relief and Retirement Fund, $95.6 million and 35.52% funded. (2025-09-30). City of Odessa · Mar 26, 2026

Debt owed$273M$131.5 million is governmental activities debt; $141.4 million is water and sewer debt. 2025-09-30. City of Odessa · Mar 26, 2026

Credit ratingWithdrawn (Moody's and S&P)2025-09-30. The ACFR says both ratings were withdrawn due to a lack of timely financial reporting, and the city intends to regain a rating. City of Odessa · Mar 26, 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 FY2027 adopted.

Comes from

Sales tax$60.5M · 40%
Property tax$52.7M · 35%
Franchise and gross receipts fees$15.2M · 10%
Other operating revenue$11.4M · 8%
Interest income$5.5M · 4%
Charges to other city funds (administrative transfers)$5.5M · 4%
Intergovernmental$882,000 · 1%

City of Odessa

Goes to (FY2027 adopted)

Fire$47.4M · 30%
Police$42.2M · 27%
Public works$22.6M · 14%
Finance, court and citywide costs$15.1M · 10%
General government$9.4M · 6%
Other public safety (dispatch, code enforcement, animal control)$8.4M · 5%
Parks and recreation$8.3M · 5%
Building services$3M · 2%

City of Odessa

Your property tax bill: who gets it

Of each property-tax dollar an Odessa homeowner in Ector County ISD pays to the city, county and school district, about 25 cents goes to the city. Other local districts are not included.

25¢

of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Odessa

Ector County ISD (schools)Operations 0.7504 plus debt 0.25441.0048 · 52%
City of Odessa (operations)0.385953 · 20%
City of Odessa (debt)0.084747 · 4%
Ector County0.43895 · 23%
Total ($ per $100 of taxable value)1.91445

2025 tax year (FY2025-26) rates for a home in Odessa in Ector County ISD (Ector County). Texas Comptroller · Jan 28, 2026

Who provides your services

Not everything in Odessa is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.

PoliceThe cityCity of Odessa Police DepartmentCity of Odessa · Mar 26, 2026
FireThe cityOdessa Fire RescueCity of Odessa · Mar 26, 2026
AmbulanceThe cityOdessa Fire RescueFrom Oct. 1, 2026, ambulance bills come from Emergicon instead of the city.City of Odessa
WaterThe cityCity of Odessa UtilitiesCity of Odessa · Mar 26, 2026
SewerThe cityCity of Odessa UtilitiesCity of Odessa · Mar 26, 2026
TrashThe cityCity of Odessa Solid WasteCity of Odessa · Mar 26, 2026
Parks and recreationThe cityCity of Odessa Parks and RecreationCity of Odessa · Mar 26, 2026
StreetsThe cityCity of Odessa Public WorksCity of Odessa · Mar 26, 2026
Golf courseThe cityCity of Odessa (Ratliff Ranch Golf Course)City of Odessa · Mar 26, 2026

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	Wichita FallsTX	League CityTX	OdessaTX	College StationTX
Residents	101,951	119,905	122,707	127,472
Top administrator's base pay	Not confirmed	Not current (2023)	$280,000	Not confirmed
Council member pay	$7,200	$7,200	Not confirmed	No salary
General fund per resident	$1,744	$952	$1,275	$1,100
Debt per resident	$967	$2,436	$2,224	$3,524
Unfunded pension per resident	$1,022	$194	$992	$318
City staff per 1,000 residents	12.4	6.4	9.2	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 Odessa 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, approved Sept. 8, 2026, is posted on the city site. City of Odessa
No: Council pay stated in a public documentWe found no readable document stating council or mayor pay. The budget shows $4,409 for City Council personal services. City of Odessa
No: Employee pay publishedThe finance page posts budgets, audits and budget reports. We found no pay list by position or employee. City of Odessa

Questions to ask your council

The general fund sent $76.4 million to the capital projects fund for a sports complex in FY2024-25. What will the complex cost to run each year once it opens?
Moody's and S&P withdrew the city's bond ratings for lack of timely financial reporting. With $272.9 million of debt at Sept. 30, 2025, when will the city seek new ratings?
The firefighters' pension fund was 35.52% funded, with a $95.6 million net pension liability. What is the plan to raise its funding?

The fiscal year starts Oct. 1. Under the city charter the city manager submits a proposed budget before Sept. 1. The council held a budget workshop July 27, 2026, and approved the FY2026-27 budget Sept. 8, 2026. See who is running for council

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