How Chesapeake is run
Who runs Chesapeake, 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 Chesapeake's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Chesapeake
A city manager appointed by the council runs the city day to day as chief executive officer. The nine-member council, including the mayor, sets policy, enacts ordinances and approves the operating and capital budgets.
What they are paid
Chesapeake city staff
4,012 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police 586, Public Works 515, Sheriff 474, Fire 471. FY2025. City of Chesapeake · Dec 9, 2025
Virginia has no statewide public pay database, and we found no city-published list of pay by position. The budget gives total general fund salary and benefits only. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Chesapeake 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: $102M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: Keep unassigned general fund balance of at least 12% of specified general fund and special revenue fund revenues (raised from 10% in June 2023). City of Chesapeake · Dec 9, 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
- Real estate tax (general fund share)$387M · 42%
- Other local taxes, fees and charges$352M · 38%
- Commonwealth of Virginia$117M · 13%
- Use of fund balance$60.7M · 7%
- Federal government$324,261 · 0%
- Other (transfers from other funds)$130,828 · 0%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Non-departmental (mostly the $310.7M transfer to Chesapeake Public Schools)$480M · 52%
- Public Works$93M · 10%
- Police$85M · 9%
- Fire$75.6M · 8%
- Sheriff$68.8M · 8%
- Parks, Recreation and Tourism$24.4M · 3%
- Libraries$12.8M · 1%
- Other departments and offices$77.6M · 8%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Virginia cities have no overlapping county or school district taxes. The city's rate also pays for Chesapeake Public Schools through the city budget.
99¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Chesapeake
- City of Chesapeake (general rate)1 · 99%
- Mosquito controlDedicated to Mosquito Control0.01 · <1%
- Total ($ per $100 of assessed value)1.01
FY2026-27 real estate tax rate for a property in Chesapeake (an independent city). City of Chesapeake · Jul 1, 2026
See what a Chesapeake house pays, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Chesapeake is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityCity of Chesapeake Police DepartmentCity of Chesapeake · Dec 9, 2025
- FireThe cityCity of Chesapeake Fire DepartmentCity of Chesapeake · Dec 9, 2025
- Emergency medical responseThe cityCity of ChesapeakeCity of Chesapeake · Dec 9, 2025
- Water and sewerThe cityCity of ChesapeakeCity of Chesapeake · Dec 9, 2025
- Trash collection and disposalThe cityCity of ChesapeakeCity of Chesapeake · Dec 9, 2025
- StormwaterThe cityCity of ChesapeakeCity of Chesapeake · Dec 9, 2025
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of ChesapeakeCity of Chesapeake · Dec 9, 2025
- LibrariesThe cityCity of ChesapeakeCity of Chesapeake · Dec 9, 2025
- Streets and highwaysThe cityCity of ChesapeakeCity of Chesapeake · Dec 9, 2025
- SchoolsSeparate districtChesapeake Public Schools (elected School Board, funded through the city)City of Chesapeake · Dec 9, 2025
- Mosquito controlAnother agencyChesapeake Mosquito Control CommissionCity of Chesapeake · Dec 9, 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 | Newport NewsVA | NorfolkVA | ChesapeakeVA | Virginia BeachVA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 183,230 | 231,013 | 255,332 | 453,737 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $292,272 | $320,923 | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | $47,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $3,708 | $5,378 | $3,594 | $3,616 |
| Debt per resident | $2,466 | $5,801 | $2,768 | $3,148 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $2,245 | $1,035 | $594 | $965 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 41.1 | 22.2 | 15.7 | 16.9 |
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 Chesapeake publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted online City of Chesapeake · Jul 1, 2026
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineCouncil approves amendments by ordinance (fifth amendment, June 24, 2025), but the agreement itself was not attached. City of Chesapeake · Jun 24, 2025
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineCouncil minutes on the city's Granicus portal list each member's yes and no vote. City of Chesapeake · Mar 24, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes online City of Chesapeake
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentA March 2026 City Attorney memo states the mayor earns $27,000 and council members $25,000 a year. City of Chesapeake · Mar 19, 2026
- No: Employee pay publishedThe budget gives total salary and benefit costs only. We found no pay-by-position list on the city's website. City of Chesapeake · Jul 1, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The general fund ended June 30, 2025 with $101.9 million unassigned, against a floor of 12% of specified revenues. What dollar amount does the 12% rule require, and how far above it is the city?
- Total debt stood at $706.7 million on June 30, 2025. How close is the city to its own limit on tax-supported debt service?
- Mayor and council pay is $27,000 and $25,000 a year, and a raise was denied on March 24, 2026. Will a cost-of-living increase tied to employee raises come back for FY2027-28?
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