City government · Lorain County, OH

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), Lorain took in $118 million and spent $107 million.

Latest recorded year: ended December 31, 2023Comes from Goes to

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Where it comes from

Fees for services (water, sewer)36%City taxes34%State tax money20%Federal tax money6.4%Fines and other3.7%County and local tax money0.2%

What stands out

27%

of Lorain's money comes from a personal income tax.Most U.S. cities of 50,000+ people get none.

City taxes34%

Individual income tax

27%$32.0 million

Property tax

5.5%$6.5 million

Other taxes

1.2%$1.5 million

What's in other taxesOccupation and business licenses and amusement licenses

Occupation and business licenses$1.4 million
Amusement licenses$2 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services36%

Fees for services

36%$42.0 million

What's in fees for servicesWater; sewer and 3 more

Water$22.3 million
Sewer$19.3 million
Other government-run businesses$202 thousand
Ports and waterways$131 thousand
Parks and recreation$24 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money6.4%

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

From the federal government

6.4%$7.6 million

State tax money20%

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

From the state

20%$23.7 million

County and local tax money0.2%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments

0.2%$268 thousand

Fines and other3.7%

Interest, rents and other

2.5%$2.9 million

Fines

1.2%$1.4 million

Where it goes

Water, sewer, trash and utilities44%Police, fire, courts and jails35%Roads, transit and parking11%Running the government and other costs6.7%Interest on debt1.5%All other spending1.7%

What stands out

44%

of Lorain's spending goes to water, sewer, trash and other utilities.A typical U.S. city of 50,000+ people spends 20%.

Spending by category100%

Water, sewer, trash and utilities

44%$46.8 million

What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesSewer systems and water supply

Sewer systems$23.9 million
Water supply$22.8 million

Police, fire, courts and jails

35%$37.6 million

What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; fire protection and 2 more

Police$19.1 million
Fire protection$12.8 million
Courts and legal services$3.6 million
Inspections and regulation$2.1 million

Roads, transit and parking

11%$12.3 million

What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways and ports and harbors

Roads and highways$10.7 million
Ports and harbors$1.6 million

Running the government and other costs

6.7%$7.2 million

What's in running the government and other costsCentral staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology); other and not broken out and 3 more

Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$2.4 million
Other and not broken out$2.1 million
Finance, tax collection and budgeting$1.6 million
Government buildings$745 thousand
Other government-run businesses$375 thousand

Interest on debt

1.5%$1.6 million

What's in interest on debtInterest on general debt and interest on water supply debt

Interest on general debt$869 thousand
Interest on water supply debt$781 thousand

Parks, recreation and libraries

1.4%$1.5 million

What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation

Parks and recreation$1.5 million

Housing and community development

0.2%$234 thousand

Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

City of Lorain. 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 City of Lorain 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.