City government · Saline County, AR

Benton's money: where it comes from and where it goes

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), Benton took in $87.7 million and spent $94.2 million.

Latest recorded year: ended December 31, 2023Estimated by the U.S. Census BureauComes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

Fees for services (electric power, sewer)48%City taxes41%State tax money3.9%Federal tax money3.7%Fines and other3.4%

What stands out

30%

of Benton's money comes from sales tax.Most U.S. cities of 10,000 to 50,000 people get none.

City taxes41%

Sales tax
30%$26.7 million
Other taxes
7.1%$6.2 million
What's in other taxesPublic utility taxes; other selective sales taxes and 3 more
  • Public utility taxes$3.3 million
  • Other selective sales taxes$1.9 million
  • Other licenses$595 thousand
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$212 thousand
  • Occupation and business licenses$164 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Property tax
3.6%$3.2 million

Fees for services48%

Fees for services
48%$42.0 million
What's in fees for servicesElectric power; sewer and 4 more
  • Electric power$26.9 million
  • Sewer$7.3 million
  • Water$6.2 million
  • Parks and recreation$1.6 million
  • Road charges$75 thousand
  • Other service charges$33 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money3.7%

Grants from Washington, paid for by the federal taxes residents also pay.

From the federal government
3.7%$3.2 million

State tax money3.9%

Money the state passes on, paid for by the state taxes residents also pay.

From the state
3.9%$3.5 million

Fines and other3.4%

Interest, rents and other
2.7%$2.4 million
Fines
0.6%$549 thousand

Where it goes

Water, sewer, trash and utilities48%Police, fire, courts and jails20%Parks, recreation and libraries12%Running the government and other costs9.0%Roads, transit and parking7.1%All other spending3.9%

What stands out

48%

of Benton's spending goes to water, sewer, trash and other utilities.A typical U.S. city of 10,000 to 50,000 people spends 24%.

Spending by category100%

Water, sewer, trash and utilities
48%$44.9 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesElectric power; water supply and 1 more
  • Electric power$24.2 million
  • Water supply$12.4 million
  • Sewer systems$8.3 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
20%$19.1 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsFire protection; police and 1 more
  • Fire protection$9.7 million
  • Police$9.2 million
  • Courts and legal services$180 thousand
Parks, recreation and libraries
12%$11.4 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation
  • Parks and recreation$11.4 million
Running the government and other costs
9.0%$8.5 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology) and 1 more
  • Other and not broken out$4.9 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$2.3 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$1.4 million
Roads, transit and parking
7.1%$6.7 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$6.7 million
Interest on debt
3.2%$3.0 million
What's in interest on debtInterest on general debt; interest on water supply debt and 1 more
  • Interest on general debt$2.6 million
  • Interest on water supply debt$331 thousand
  • Interest on electric power debt$59 thousand
Health and hospitals
0.6%$608 thousand
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$608 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

City of Benton. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended December 31, 2023. Most of this government's figures were estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau from a sample; the government did not report them itself.

What this covers. The money of City of Benton 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.