City government · Middlesex County, MA

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2022), Watertown took in $211 million and spent $227 million.

Latest recorded year: ended June 30, 2022Comes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

City taxes67%Fees for services (sewer, water)17%State tax money9.2%Federal tax money4.8%Fines and other2.0%County and local tax money<0.1%

What stands out

66%

of Watertown's money comes from property tax.A typical U.S. city of 10,000 to 50,000 people gets 19%.

City taxes67%

Property tax
66%$138 million
Other taxes
1.2%$2.6 million
What's in other taxesOther selective sales taxes and other licenses
  • Other selective sales taxes$2.4 million
  • Other licenses$225 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services17%

Fees for services
17%$36.1 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges; sewer and 7 more
  • Other service charges$15.9 million
  • Sewer$11.1 million
  • Water$7.9 million
  • Parks and recreation$453 thousand
  • Parking$398 thousand
  • Other school charges$156 thousand
  • School lunches$118 thousand
  • School tuition and transportation$63 thousand
  • Garbage collection$32 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money4.8%

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

From the federal government
4.8%$10.1 million

State tax money9.2%

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

From the state
9.2%$19.4 million

County and local tax money<0.1%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments
<0.1%$112 thousand

Fines and other2.0%

Interest, rents and other
1.8%$3.8 million
Fines
0.2%$329 thousand

Where it goes

Schools and colleges55%Running the government and other costs18%Water, sewer, trash and utilities9.9%Police, fire, courts and jails9.6%Interest on debt2.1%All other spending6.0%

What stands out

55%

of Watertown's spending goes to schools and colleges.Most U.S. cities of 10,000 to 50,000 people spend nothing on this.

Spending by category100%

Schools and colleges
55%$124 million
What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools
  • Elementary and secondary schools$124 million
Running the government and other costs
18%$40.0 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$36.5 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$1.4 million
  • Government buildings$1.4 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$625 thousand
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
9.9%$22.5 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesSewer systems; water supply and 1 more
  • Sewer systems$10.3 million
  • Water supply$8.8 million
  • Garbage and solid waste$3.4 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
9.6%$21.8 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsFire protection; police and 2 more
  • Fire protection$11.7 million
  • Police$9.9 million
  • Courts and legal services$196 thousand
  • Inspections and regulation$34 thousand
Interest on debt
2.1%$4.7 million
Roads, transit and parking
1.9%$4.3 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$4.3 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
1.8%$4.2 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesLibraries and parks and recreation
  • Libraries$3.4 million
  • Parks and recreation$786 thousand
Sent to other local governments
1.8%$4.0 million
What's in sent to other local governmentsSent to the state government and sent to local governments: other and not broken out
  • Sent to the state government$2.5 million
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$1.6 million
Health and hospitals
0.3%$709 thousand
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$709 thousand
Social services
<0.1%$195 thousand
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$195 thousand
Housing and community development
<0.1%$38 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

City of Watertown. U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments, Finance, individual unit file, fiscal year ended June 30, 2022. The Census record for this government is from the 2022 survey, the newest on file.

What this covers. The money of City of Watertown 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.