City government · King County, WA

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2021), Burien took in $51.9 million and spent $41.5 million.

Latest recorded year: ended December 31, 2021Comes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

City taxes64%State tax money21%Fees for services (sewer, parks and recreation)9.2%County and local tax money4.4%Fines and other1.2%Federal tax money0.2%

What stands out

27%

of Burien's money comes from taxes other than property, sales and income taxes.A typical U.S. city of 50,000+ people gets 7.2%.

City taxes64%

Other taxes
27%$14.0 million
What's in other taxesPublic utility taxes; real estate and stock transfer taxes and 6 more
  • Public utility taxes$5.5 million
  • Real estate and stock transfer taxes$3.5 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$2.2 million
  • Other licenses$1.5 million
  • Motor vehicle licenses$800 thousand
  • Amusement taxes$249 thousand
  • Other selective sales taxes$220 thousand
  • Amusement licenses$3 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Sales tax
20%$10.6 million
Property tax
16%$8.4 million

Fees for services9.2%

Fees for services
9.2%$4.8 million
What's in fees for servicesSewer; other service charges and 1 more
  • Sewer$3.8 million
  • Other service charges$897 thousand
  • Parks and recreation$137 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money0.2%

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

From the federal government
0.2%$115 thousand

State tax money21%

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

From the state
21%$11.1 million

County and local tax money4.4%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments
4.4%$2.3 million

Fines and other1.2%

Interest, rents and other
1.0%$535 thousand
Fines
0.2%$89 thousand

Where it goes

Police, fire, courts and jails35%Running the government and other costs18%Roads, transit and parking18%Parks, recreation and libraries12%Environment and natural resources6.5%All other spending10%

What stands out

6.5%

of Burien's spending goes to the environment and natural resources.Most U.S. cities of 50,000+ people spend nothing on this.

Spending by category100%

Police, fire, courts and jails
35%$14.7 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; courts and legal services and 1 more
  • Police$12.7 million
  • Courts and legal services$998 thousand
  • Prisons and jails$990 thousand
Running the government and other costs
18%$7.6 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$3.1 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$2.4 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$2.0 million
  • Government buildings$169 thousand
Roads, transit and parking
18%$7.3 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$7.3 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
12%$5.1 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation
  • Parks and recreation$5.1 million
Environment and natural resources
6.5%$2.7 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$2.7 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
5.5%$2.3 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesSewer systems
  • Sewer systems$2.3 million
Housing and community development
2.2%$927 thousand
Interest on debt
1.6%$667 thousand
Health and hospitals
0.7%$278 thousand
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$278 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

City of Burien. U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments, Finance, individual unit file, fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. The Census record for this government is from the 2022 survey, the newest on file.

What this covers. The money of City of Burien 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.