County government · Ottawa County, MI

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), Ottawa County took in $323 million and spent $338 million.

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

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Where it comes from

State tax money42%County taxes25%Fines and other11%Federal tax money9.5%Local tax money8.9%Fees for services (parks and recreation)3.8%

What stands out

42%

of Ottawa County's money comes from state tax money.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people gets 19%.

County taxes25%

Property tax
24%$78.3 million
Other taxes
0.5%$1.5 million
What's in other taxesOccupation and business licenses and other licenses
  • Occupation and business licenses$983 thousand
  • Other licenses$490 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services3.8%

Fees for services
3.8%$12.2 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges and parks and recreation
  • Other service charges$12.0 million
  • Parks and recreation$269 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money9.5%

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

From the federal government
9.5%$30.7 million

State tax money42%

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

From the state
42%$135 million

Local tax money8.9%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
8.9%$28.9 million

Fines and other11%

Interest, rents and other
11%$37.0 million
Fines
<0.1%$130 thousand

Where it goes

Running the government and other costs32%Health and hospitals26%Police, fire, courts and jails18%Roads, transit and parking14%Water, sewer, trash and utilities6.5%All other spending3.9%

What stands out

26%

of Ottawa County's spending goes to health services and hospitals.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people spends 7.9%.

Spending by category100%

Running the government and other costs
32%$107 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$90.0 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$6.2 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$5.7 million
  • Government buildings$5.4 million
Health and hospitals
26%$87.2 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$87.2 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
18%$59.4 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsCourts and legal services; police and 2 more
  • Courts and legal services$31.3 million
  • Police$20.7 million
  • Prisons and jails$7.3 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$145 thousand
Roads, transit and parking
14%$49.0 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$49.0 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
6.5%$22.0 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste
  • Garbage and solid waste$22.0 million
Social services
2.2%$7.6 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$7.6 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
1.3%$4.5 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation
  • Parks and recreation$4.5 million
Interest on debt
0.3%$871 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Ottawa 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 Ottawa 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.