City government · Grand Traverse County, MI

Traverse City's money: where it comes from and where it goes

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Traverse City took in $113 million and spent $96.0 million.

Latest recorded year: ended June 30, 2024Estimated by the U.S. Census BureauComes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

Fees for services (electric power, sewer)52%City taxes21%Fines and other11%State tax money8.9%Federal tax money4.7%County and local tax money2.4%

What stands out

52%

of Traverse City's money comes from fees for services such as water, sewer and parking.A typical U.S. city of 10,000 to 50,000 people gets 30%.

City taxes21%

Property tax
19%$22.1 million
Other taxes
1.1%$1.2 million
What's in other taxesOccupation and business licenses and other licenses
  • Occupation and business licenses$1.1 million
  • Other licenses$80 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services52%

Fees for services
52%$59.4 million
What's in fees for servicesElectric power; sewer and 4 more
  • Electric power$40.0 million
  • Sewer$9.3 million
  • Water$5.5 million
  • Parking$3.0 million
  • Parks and recreation$1.4 million
  • Other service charges$249 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money4.7%

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

From the federal government
4.7%$5.3 million

State tax money8.9%

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

From the state
8.9%$10.1 million

County and local tax money2.4%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments
2.4%$2.8 million

Fines and other11%

Interest, rents and other
11%$12.2 million
Fines
0.3%$378 thousand

Where it goes

Running the government and other costs57%Water, sewer, trash and utilities10%Police, fire, courts and jails9.3%Parks, recreation and libraries9.1%Roads, transit and parking8.6%All other spending5.3%

What stands out

57%

of Traverse City's spending goes to running the government and other costs.A typical U.S. city of 10,000 to 50,000 people spends 18%.

Spending by category100%

Running the government and other costs
57%$55.2 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$47.0 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$5.5 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$2.6 million
  • Government buildings$218 thousand
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
10%$9.8 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesSewer systems
  • Sewer systems$9.8 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
9.3%$8.9 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; fire protection and 1 more
  • Police$4.7 million
  • Fire protection$3.8 million
  • Courts and legal services$406 thousand
Parks, recreation and libraries
9.1%$8.7 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation
  • Parks and recreation$8.7 million
Roads, transit and parking
8.6%$8.3 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$8.3 million
Housing and community development
2.5%$2.4 million
Sent to other local governments
2.4%$2.3 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$1.5 million
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$845 thousand
Interest on debt
0.4%$351 thousand
What's in interest on debtInterest on general debt and interest on electric power debt
  • Interest on general debt$285 thousand
  • Interest on electric power debt$66 thousand
Health and hospitals
<0.1%$31 thousand
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$31 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

City of Traverse City. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended June 30, 2024. 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 Traverse City 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.