How Waynesboro is run
Who runs Waynesboro, 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 Waynesboro's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Waynesboro
A city manager appointed by the council oversees the city's daily operations. The five-member council, including the mayor, approves the budget, sets the tax rate and sets policy.
What they are paid
Waynesboro city staff
357 full-time-equivalent positions. FY2026-27. Full-time positions in the FY2027 recommended budget, all city funds. The city also lists 86 part-time and 7 seasonal positions (head count, not FTE). City of Waynesboro · Apr 6, 2026
The budget lists positions by department without pay. It states the pay scale anchor but we found no salary list for city staff. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Waynesboro 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: $2M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: The city keeps a cash reserve in committed fund balance, not unassigned, of at least 16% of the next year's general fund budget. That was $11,589,322 for 2025, and the audit says the committed balance met it. City of Waynesboro · Nov 25, 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
- Property taxes$38.3M · 50%
- Other local taxes (sales, meals, lodging, business license, utility)$22.4M · 29%
- State aid$11.2M · 15%
- Other local revenue (fees, permits, interest, charges)$3.5M · 5%
- Transfers from other funds$1.9M · 2%
- Other: federal aid$78,326 · 0%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Schools: city payment to Waynesboro Public Schools$21.2M · 27%
- Police$9.2M · 12%
- Transfers to other funds (including the high school debt reserve)$9.1M · 12%
- Public works and streets$8.8M · 11%
- Fire$5.4M · 7%
- Emergency management, EMS and 911$2.5M · 3%
- Parks and recreation$2.4M · 3%
- Other (administration, courts, sheriff, jail, library, other)$18.7M · 24%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Waynesboro is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityWaynesboro Police DepartmentCity of Waynesboro · Apr 6, 2026
- FireThe cityWaynesboro Fire DepartmentCity of Waynesboro · Apr 6, 2026
- Emergency medical servicesThe cityCity Department of Emergency Management, with the volunteer Waynesboro First Aid CrewCity fire crews also respond to medical calls.City of Waynesboro · Apr 6, 2026
- 911 dispatchThe cityCity Emergency Communications (E911) CenterCity of Waynesboro · Apr 6, 2026
- WaterThe cityCity Public Works Water DivisionCity of Waynesboro · Apr 6, 2026
- SewerThe cityCity sewer system and wastewater treatment plantCity of Waynesboro · Apr 6, 2026
- Trash collectionThe cityCity Refuse FundCity of Waynesboro · Apr 6, 2026
- SchoolsSeparate districtCity of Waynesboro School Board (elected)City of Waynesboro · Nov 25, 2025
- LibraryThe cityWaynesboro Public Library (city)City of Waynesboro · Apr 6, 2026
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity Department of Parks and RecreationCity of Waynesboro · Apr 6, 2026
- StreetsThe cityCity Public Works Streets departmentCity of Waynesboro · Apr 6, 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 | HopewellVA | WaynesboroVA | HerndonVA | SalemVA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 23,261 | 23,951 | 25,506 | 25,816 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $195,000 |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $12,000 |
| General fund per resident | $3,103 | $3,231 | $1,919 | $4,616 |
| Debt per resident | $2,287 | $1,923 | $616 | $2,928 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $541 | $525 | $15 | $1,573 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 17.7 | 14.9 | 11.1 | 20.0 |
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 Waynesboro publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineWe found no posted contract or salary for City Manager Michael G. Hamp II on the city manager or budget pages. City of Waynesboro · Dec 18, 2025
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineCouncil minutes list each member's vote by name, for example in September 2023. Waynesboro City Council · Sep 25, 2023
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineMinutes are posted after approval, and past meetings are on the city's YouTube channel. City of Waynesboro · Sep 7, 2026
- Partly: Council pay stated in a public documentThe FY2027 recommended budget shows one line of $46,520 in council wages, not each member's or the mayor's pay. City of Waynesboro · Apr 6, 2026
- Partly: Employee pay publishedThe budget states the pay scale anchor ($16.21, rising to $17.35) but no salary list. City of Waynesboro · Apr 6, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- Unassigned general fund balance was $1,985,435 at June 30, 2025, while $11,589,322 was committed as the council's contingency reserve. When can the council use that reserve?
- General fund revenue exceeded spending by $12.6 million in FY2025, and $12.5 million was transferred out to other funds. Which funds received it, and for what?
- The city's pension plan was 87.37% funded with a $12.6 million net pension liability at June 30, 2024. What is the plan to close the gap?
The fiscal year starts July 1. The city manager presented the FY2027 recommended budget on April 6, 2026. Under the city's budget rules, public hearings follow and the council adopts the budget by resolution before June 30. See who is running for council
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