How Harrisonburg is run
Who runs Harrisonburg, 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 Harrisonburg's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Harrisonburg
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
Harrisonburg city staff
780 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police 140, Fire 104. FY2025. Budgeted full-time equivalent positions for FY2025, all city functions. Excludes school division staff. City of Harrisonburg · Nov 26, 2025
The budget and audit list positions by function. We found no published salary list for city staff. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Harrisonburg 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: $63.7M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: The city's policy keeps unassigned general fund balance at no less than 14% of the general fund budget, plus 4% for liquidity, for an 18% target. Unassigned balance was 36.1% of general fund spending and uses in FY2025. City of Harrisonburg · Nov 26, 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$64.8M · 37%
- Restaurant food (meals) tax$20.1M · 12%
- Sales tax$19.1M · 11%
- Personal property tax$18.1M · 10%
- State and federal aid$13.4M · 8%
- Business license tax$9M · 5%
- Other local taxes$9M · 5%
- Other: fees and charges, $5.2 million from the Harrisonburg Electric Commission, and $4.1 million of fund balance$21.2M · 12%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Transfer to Harrisonburg City Public Schools$48.7M · 28%
- Public safety$39.3M · 22%
- Joint operations with Rockingham County (courts, jail, social services and more)$16.4M · 9%
- Public works$14.5M · 8%
- School debt service$14M · 8%
- Government administration$10.9M · 6%
- Parks, recreation and cultural$9.4M · 5%
- Other: transfers to other funds, city debt service, community development, health and welfare$21.6M · 12%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Harrisonburg is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityHarrisonburg Police DepartmentCity of Harrisonburg · Nov 26, 2025
- FireThe cityHarrisonburg Fire DepartmentCity of Harrisonburg · Nov 26, 2025
- WaterThe cityCity water systemCity of Harrisonburg · Nov 26, 2025
- SewerThe cityCity sewer systemCity of Harrisonburg · Nov 26, 2025
- Trash and recyclingThe cityCity Sanitation FundCity of Harrisonburg · Nov 26, 2025
- ElectricityAnother agencyHarrisonburg Electric CommissionA separate legal entity whose five members are appointed by the City Council.City of Harrisonburg · Nov 26, 2025
- SchoolsSeparate districtHarrisonburg City School Board (elected)City of Harrisonburg · Nov 26, 2025
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity parks and recreationCity of Harrisonburg · Nov 26, 2025
- StreetsThe cityCity Department of Public WorksCity of Harrisonburg · Nov 26, 2025
- Social servicesSeparate districtHarrisonburg-Rockingham Social Services DistrictCity of Harrisonburg · Nov 26, 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 | PetersburgVA | DanvilleVA | ManassasVA | HarrisonburgVA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 33,734 | 41,647 | 44,332 | 50,839 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | $256,404 | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | $34,000 | $18,000 | $18,000 |
| General fund per resident | $3,551 | $4,662 | $4,181 | $3,440 |
| Debt per resident | $3,960 | $6,257 | $4,036 | $4,067 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $144 | $-48 | $713 | $451 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 20.5 | 30.0 | 12.6 | 15.3 |
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 Harrisonburg 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 Harrisonburg · Jun 9, 2026
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineWe found no posted contract or salary for City Manager Ande Banks on the city manager page or in council records. City of Harrisonburg · Oct 10, 2026
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineThe council's Legistar records list each member's vote by name, for example on the May 2022 council pay ordinance. Harrisonburg City Council (Legistar) · May 10, 2022
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineThe city posts agendas and adopted minutes online and streams council meetings live, with past meeting videos. City of Harrisonburg · Oct 10, 2026
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentA 2022 ordinance sets pay at $18,000 a year for members and $20,000 for the mayor from July 1, 2023. City of Harrisonburg · May 10, 2022
- No: Employee pay publishedThe budget and audit list positions by function but no salary list or pay ranges for city staff. City of Harrisonburg · Nov 26, 2025
Questions to ask your council
- Unassigned general fund balance was $63,695,162 at June 30, 2025, well above the city's 18% target. How much of it should go to capital projects instead of staying in reserve?
- General fund balance fell by $1,985,558 in FY2025, mainly from using fund balance for capital. How long can the city keep paying for capital from reserves while holding the real estate tax rate at $1.01?
- Joint operations with Rockingham County cost $16,431,960 in the FY2026-27 budget. Which shared services are driving that cost?
- The city owed $206,748,000 in general obligation bonds at June 30, 2025, and school debt service alone is $13,999,456 this year. How much more borrowing is planned?
The fiscal year starts July 1. Departments submit requests in December, and the city manager presents the proposed budget to the council in April with a public hearing. The council holds the real estate tax rate hearing in May and adopts the budget on second reading. The charter requires adoption 30 days before July 1. See who is running for council
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