County government · Bay County, MI

Bay County's money: where it comes from and where it goes

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), Bay County took in $239 million and spent $235 million.

Latest recorded year: ended December 31, 2023Comes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

Local tax money28%Fees for services (water, sewer)25%County taxes21%State tax money13%Fines and other8.0%Federal tax money5.7%

What stands out

28%

of Bay County's money comes from county and other local tax money.A typical U.S. county of 50,000 to 250,000 people gets 1.1%.

County taxes21%

Property tax
19%$45.1 million
Other taxes
2.0%$4.8 million
What's in other taxesOther licenses and occupation and business licenses
  • Other licenses$4.5 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$283 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services25%

Fees for services
25%$58.6 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges; water and 3 more
  • Other service charges$39.5 million
  • Water$11.1 million
  • Sewer$3.9 million
  • Road charges$3.3 million
  • Parks and recreation$756 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money5.7%

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

From the federal government
5.7%$13.5 million

State tax money13%

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

From the state
13%$32.0 million

Local tax money28%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
28%$66.1 million

Fines and other8.0%

Interest, rents and other
7.7%$18.5 million
Fines
0.2%$571 thousand

Where it goes

Health and hospitals35%Running the government and other costs21%Social services14%Roads, transit and parking13%Water, sewer, trash and utilities7.7%All other spending9.5%

What stands out

35%

of Bay County's spending goes to health services and hospitals.A typical U.S. county of 50,000 to 250,000 people spends 5.7%.

Spending by category100%

Health and hospitals
35%$82.4 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$82.4 million
Running the government and other costs
21%$49.9 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; finance, tax collection and budgeting and 1 more
  • Other and not broken out$47.2 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$2.0 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$683 thousand
Social services
14%$33.0 million
What's in social servicesWelfare institutions and other public welfare
  • Welfare institutions$29.4 million
  • Other public welfare$3.5 million
Roads, transit and parking
13%$29.7 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$29.7 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
7.7%$18.2 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesSewer systems
  • Sewer systems$18.2 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
4.3%$10.1 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$9.4 million
  • Libraries$710 thousand
Police, fire, courts and jails
3.9%$9.1 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsCourts and legal services and prisons and jails
  • Courts and legal services$9.0 million
  • Prisons and jails$147 thousand
Interest on debt
1.1%$2.6 million
Sent to other local governments
0.2%$449 thousand
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$234 thousand
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$215 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Bay County. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

What this covers. The money of Bay County 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.