City government · Rensselaer County, NY

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended July 31, 2023), Rensselaer took in $23.2 million and spent $35.7 million.

Latest recorded year: ended July 31, 2023Estimated by the U.S. Census BureauComes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

City taxes34%State tax money19%Fees for services (water, garbage collection)17%Fines and other15%County and local tax money14%

What stands out

14%

of Rensselaer's money comes from county and other local tax money.Most U.S. cities, towns and villages of under 10,000 people get none.

City taxes34%

Property tax
28%$6.5 million
Other taxes
6.1%$1.4 million
What's in other taxesOther taxes not classified elsewhere; public utility taxes and 1 more
  • Other taxes not classified elsewhere$1.1 million
  • Public utility taxes$219 thousand
  • Other licenses$125 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services17%

Fees for services
17%$4.1 million
What's in fees for servicesWater; garbage collection and 2 more
  • Water$2.3 million
  • Garbage collection$864 thousand
  • Sewer$813 thousand
  • Other service charges$119 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

State tax money19%

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

From the state
19%$4.4 million

County and local tax money14%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments
14%$3.3 million

Fines and other15%

Interest, rents and other
14%$3.4 million
Fines
0.5%$106 thousand

Where it goes

Water, sewer, trash and utilities46%Running the government and other costs28%Police, fire, courts and jails15%Roads, transit and parking8.9%Housing and community development1.1%All other spending1.8%

What stands out

46%

of Rensselaer's spending goes to water, sewer, trash and other utilities.A typical U.S. city, town or village of under 10,000 people spends 32%.

Spending by category100%

Water, sewer, trash and utilities
46%$16.3 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesSewer systems; water supply and 1 more
  • Sewer systems$9.1 million
  • Water supply$6.5 million
  • Garbage and solid waste$676 thousand
Running the government and other costs
28%$10.0 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$8.3 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$1.0 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$408 thousand
  • Government buildings$318 thousand
Police, fire, courts and jails
15%$5.3 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; fire protection and 2 more
  • Police$3.3 million
  • Fire protection$1.5 million
  • Courts and legal services$359 thousand
  • Inspections and regulation$119 thousand
Roads, transit and parking
8.9%$3.2 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$3.2 million
Housing and community development
1.1%$387 thousand
Parks, recreation and libraries
0.9%$330 thousand
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$180 thousand
  • Libraries$150 thousand
Interest on debt
0.9%$312 thousand
Health and hospitals
<0.1%$3 thousand
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$3 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

City of Rensselaer. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended July 31, 2023. 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 Rensselaer 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.