How Radford is run
Who runs Radford, 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 Radford's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Radford
A city manager hired by the council runs the city government day to day. The five-member council, including the mayor, sets policy, sets tax rates and utility rates, and adopts the budget.
What they are paid
Radford city staff
The budget lists positions by department without pay. We found no salary list or pay schedule for city staff. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Radford 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: $-2.1M (2025-06-30). That means every dollar the general fund has saved is set aside in a named reserve or category, not that it has no savings. The city's own target: The city's policy calls for unassigned general fund balance equal to 10% of city and School Board operating spending. If it falls below that, the council must adopt a plan to restore it within three years. The city is below this target. City of Radford · Jun 25, 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
- Property taxes$13.1M · 37%
- Other local taxes (sales, meals, lodging, utility, business license)$6.1M · 17%
- Transfers from city utilities (mostly the electric fund)$5.2M · 15%
- State categorical aid$2.6M · 7%
- Miscellaneous revenue$2.4M · 7%
- Federal aid (social services)$1.7M · 5%
- State share of constitutional officers' costs$1.7M · 5%
- Non-categorical state aid$1.2M · 3%
- Other (fees, fines, permits, rents, other state aid)$1.4M · 4%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Schools: city payment to the School Board and school debt$7.3M · 21%
- Police$5M · 14%
- Fire and EMS$3.2M · 9%
- Social services administration$1.4M · 4%
- Information technology$1.2M · 3%
- Children's Services Act (comprehensive services)$1.2M · 3%
- Regional jail$1.1M · 3%
- City debt service$1.1M · 3%
- Other (administration, courts, sheriff, public works, parks, library, other)$13.9M · 39%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Radford is an independent city, so there is no county property tax. The city funds its share of the schools from the general fund. The council raised the rate two cents for 2026, from $0.82.
100¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Radford
- City of Radford (including schools)0.84 · 100%
- Total ($ per $100 of assessed value)0.84
2026 real estate tax rate for a home in the City of Radford. Radford City Council · Apr 28, 2026
See what a Radford house pays, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Radford is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityRadford Police DepartmentCity of Radford · Jul 1, 2025
- Fire and EMSThe cityRadford City Fire/EMS DepartmentFire and ambulance service from one station at 1500 Wadsworth Street.City of Radford · Jul 1, 2025
- 911 dispatchThe cityCity E911 Center (police Communications budget)City of Radford · Jul 1, 2025
- ElectricityThe cityCity electric departmentCity of Radford · Jun 25, 2026
- WaterThe cityCity Water/Wastewater DepartmentCity of Radford · Jul 1, 2025
- Trash collectionThe cityCity solid waste serviceCity of Radford · Jun 25, 2026
- SchoolsSeparate districtRadford City School BoardSchool Board members are elected; the city funds the schools because the board has no taxing power.City of Radford · Jun 25, 2026
- StreetsThe cityCity Public Works (urban highway maintenance)City of Radford · Jul 1, 2025
- Public transitContractorRadford Transit, run by New River Valley Community ServicesCity of Radford · Jul 1, 2025
- JailAnother agencyNew River Regional Jail AuthorityA regional jail in Dublin, paid per inmate.City of Radford · Jun 25, 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 | WilliamsburgVA | BristolVA | RadfordVA | Colonial HeightsVA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 15,861 | 16,418 | 17,243 | 18,738 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | $185,000 | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | Not current (2018) | Not confirmed | $10,000 |
| General fund per resident | $3,949 | $5,915 | $2,052 | $4,422 |
| Debt per resident | $2,977 | $9,124 | $1,831 | $1,677 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $792 | $972 | $355 | $537 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 15.6 | 18.4 | — | 15.0 |
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).
What Radford publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- No: Audited financial report filed on timeThe FY2025 audit report is dated June 25, 2026, almost a year after the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025. City of Radford · Jun 25, 2026
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineWe found no posted contract or salary for City Manager Todd Meredith on the city's council or budget pages. City of Radford
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member online Radford City Council · Apr 28, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes online City of Radford
- Partly: Council pay stated in a public documentThe FY2027 budget report shows one line of $24,840 for all council members, not each member's or the mayor's pay. City of Radford · Apr 28, 2026
- Partly: Employee pay published City of Radford Police
Questions to ask your council
- Unassigned general fund balance was below zero at June 30, 2025, against a policy of 10% of city and School Board operating spending. What is the council's three-year plan to restore it?
- General fund spending exceeded revenue by $6.4 million in FY2025. How will the city reduce the FY2027 budget's reliance on $5.2 million in transfers from its utility funds?
- The FY2025 audit report is dated June 25, 2026. When will the FY2026 audit be finished?
- The council raised the real estate tax rate from $0.82 to $0.84 for 2026. What rate would the city need to fund reserves and infrastructure without utility transfers?
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