How Fairfax is run
Who runs Fairfax, 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 Fairfax's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Fairfax
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
Fairfax city staff
463 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police 92, Fire 86, Public works 82, Transit 33, Parks and recreation 31. FY2025 (ACFR statistical section). City of Fairfax · Dec 2, 2025
The audited report lists staffing (FTE) by department and the budget page lists raises; we found no published pay list by position. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Fairfax 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: $33M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: The city's minimum policy for unassigned general fund balance is 15.0%. The FY2027 budget highlights show 17.7%. City of Fairfax · Dec 2, 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.
Who provides your services
Not everything in Fairfax is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityFairfax City Police DepartmentCity of Fairfax · Dec 2, 2025
- StreetsThe cityCity Public Works DepartmentCity of Fairfax · Dec 2, 2025
- SewerThe cityCity (collection); Fairfax County (treatment)The city collects sewage; Fairfax County treats it under contract.City of Fairfax · Dec 2, 2025
- LibraryThe countyFairfax CountyUnder contract with the city.City of Fairfax · Dec 2, 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 | HerndonVA | SalemVA | FairfaxVA | WinchesterVA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 25,506 | 25,816 | 26,772 | 28,272 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | $195,000 | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | $12,000 | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $1,919 | $4,616 | $7,766 | $4,466 |
| Debt per resident | $616 | $2,928 | $5,484 | $8,409 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $15 | $1,573 | $3,062 | $277 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 11.1 | 20.0 | 17.3 | 24.0 |
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). Herndon pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Fairfax 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 adopted budget book is posted online, linked from the city's Budget page with budget highlights. City of Fairfax · May 6, 2026
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineThe City Manager page describes the role but gives no contract or salary. City of Fairfax
- Partly: Council votes recorded member by member onlineThe Cityscene newsletter's council summaries name members who voted against items, e.g. the meals tax increase. City of Fairfax · Jun 1, 2026
- No: Council pay stated in a public documentWe found no council pay on the Budget page or in the FY2025 audited report. City of Fairfax · May 6, 2026
- No: Employee pay publishedThe budget page lists FY2027 raises but no pay by position. City of Fairfax · May 6, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- Unassigned general fund balance was $33.0 million at June 30, 2025, and the FY2027 budget shows 17.7% against a 15.0% minimum. How far above the minimum does the council intend to stay?
- Net pension liability across the city's plans totals about $82.0 million, including $48.9 million for its Virginia Retirement System plan. What is the plan to reduce it?
- Debt was $146.8 million at June 30, 2025. How will the school and general capital bonds authorized in April 2026 change yearly debt payments?
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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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