County government · Lake County, MT

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Lake County took in $37.6 million and spent $39.5 million.

Latest recorded year: ended June 30, 2024Comes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

County taxes59%Fines and other14%Federal tax money12%Fees for services (garbage collection, airport)8.2%State tax money7.1%Local tax money0.2%

What stands out

55%

of Lake County's money comes from property tax.A typical U.S. county of under 50,000 people gets 28%.

County taxes59%

Property tax
55%$20.7 million
Other taxes
3.5%$1.3 million
What's in other taxesMotor vehicle licenses; occupation and business licenses and 3 more
  • Motor vehicle licenses$941 thousand
  • Occupation and business licenses$158 thousand
  • Other taxes not classified elsewhere$111 thousand
  • Other licenses$90 thousand
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$9 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services8.2%

Fees for services
8.2%$3.1 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges; garbage collection and 1 more
  • Other service charges$1.3 million
  • Garbage collection$1.2 million
  • Airport$638 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money12%

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

From the federal government
12%$4.6 million

State tax money7.1%

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

From the state
7.1%$2.7 million

Local tax money0.2%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
0.2%$89 thousand

Fines and other14%

Interest, rents and other
14%$5.1 million
Fines
0.2%$93 thousand

Where it goes

Running the government and other costs30%Roads, transit and parking19%Police, fire, courts and jails18%Sent to other local governments16%Water, sewer, trash and utilities10%All other spending6.7%

What stands out

16%

of Lake County's spending goes to local governments.Most U.S. counties of under 50,000 people spend nothing on this.

Spending by category100%

Running the government and other costs
30%$12.0 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology) and 2 more
  • Other and not broken out$5.4 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$3.3 million
  • Government buildings$2.0 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$1.3 million
Roads, transit and parking
19%$7.5 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways and airports
  • Roads and highways$5.8 million
  • Airports$1.6 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
18%$7.2 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; prisons and jails and 1 more
  • Police$3.9 million
  • Prisons and jails$1.7 million
  • Courts and legal services$1.5 million
Sent to other local governments
16%$6.2 million
What's in sent to other local governmentsSent to local governments: other and not broken out
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$6.2 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
10%$4.0 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste
  • Garbage and solid waste$4.0 million
Health and hospitals
4.7%$1.8 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$1.8 million
Environment and natural resources
1.4%$550 thousand
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$550 thousand
Interest on debt
0.5%$215 thousand
Parks, recreation and libraries
<0.1%$26 thousand
What's in parks, recreation and librariesLibraries and parks and recreation
  • Libraries$14 thousand
  • Parks and recreation$12 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

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

What this covers. The money of Lake 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.