City government · Madison County, AL
Huntsville's money: where it comes from and where it goes
In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended September 30, 2023), Huntsville took in $1.48 billion and spent $1.26 billion.
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Where it comes from
What stands out
of Huntsville's money comes from fees for services such as water, sewer and parking.A typical U.S. city of 50,000+ people gets 30%.
City taxes37%
What's in other taxesOccupation and business licenses; other selective sales taxes and 5 more
- Occupation and business licenses$29.3 million
- Other selective sales taxes$26.1 million
- Public utility taxes$20.8 million
- Other licenses$13.0 million
- Alcoholic beverage taxes$8.3 million
- Motor fuel taxes$6.6 million
- Tobacco taxes$1.2 million
Amounts are by Census tax category.
Fees for services55%
What's in fees for servicesElectric power; gas and 6 more
- Electric power$602 million
- Gas$64.1 million
- Water$57.4 million
- Sewer$48.3 million
- Parks and recreation$18.9 million
- Garbage collection$14.3 million
- Other service charges$12.5 million
- Parking$3.0 million
Amounts are by Census type of charge.
State tax money1.5%
Money the state passes on, paid for by the state taxes residents also pay.
Fines and other5.8%
Where it goes
What stands out
of Huntsville's spending goes to water, sewer, trash and other utilities.A typical U.S. city of 50,000+ people spends 20%.
Spending by category100%
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesElectric power; water supply and 3 more
- Electric power$622 million
- Water supply$79.2 million
- Gas supply$70.5 million
- Sewer systems$27.6 million
- Garbage and solid waste$17.0 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; finance, tax collection and budgeting and 2 more
- Other and not broken out$147 million
- Finance, tax collection and budgeting$21.6 million
- Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$11.7 million
- Other government-run businesses$1.6 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; fire protection and 2 more
- Police$66.4 million
- Fire protection$51.6 million
- Courts and legal services$9.2 million
- Inspections and regulation$4.6 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
- Parks and recreation$41.6 million
- Libraries$7.9 million
What's in interest on debtInterest on general debt; interest on electric power debt and 2 more
- Interest on general debt$35.5 million
- Interest on electric power debt$2.3 million
- Interest on water supply debt$2.3 million
- Interest on gas supply debt$109 thousand
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways and parking
- Roads and highways$18.2 million
- Parking$2.8 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
- Public health$2.8 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
- Natural resources, farming and conservation$1.9 million
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover
City of Huntsville. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended September 30, 2023.
What this covers. The money of City of Huntsville itself. Other governments that serve the same area (the city, county, school district and state) are separate and not included. Borrowing, transfers between a government's own funds, and pension trust funds are not counted as revenue.