City government · Kittitas County, WA

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), Ellensburg took in $80.3 million and spent $75.0 million.

Latest recorded year: ended December 31, 2023Comes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

Fees for services (electric power, gas)55%City taxes26%Fines and other11%State tax money7.8%County and local tax money0.4%

What stands out

14%

of Ellensburg's money comes from sales tax.Most U.S. cities of 10,000 to 50,000 people get none.

City taxes26%

Sales tax
14%$11.0 million
Other taxes
8.2%$6.6 million
What's in other taxesPublic utility taxes; other licenses and 5 more
  • Public utility taxes$3.8 million
  • Other licenses$859 thousand
  • Other selective sales taxes$774 thousand
  • Real estate and stock transfer taxes$765 thousand
  • Amusement taxes$255 thousand
  • Occupation and business licenses$81 thousand
  • Amusement licenses$2 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Property tax
4.3%$3.5 million

Fees for services55%

Fees for services
55%$44.0 million
What's in fees for servicesElectric power; gas and 5 more
  • Electric power$19.6 million
  • Gas$9.1 million
  • Sewer$6.8 million
  • Water$5.6 million
  • Other service charges$1.9 million
  • Road charges$458 thousand
  • Parks and recreation$406 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money<0.1%

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

From the federal government
<0.1%$27 thousand

State tax money7.8%

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

From the state
7.8%$6.2 million

County and local tax money0.4%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments
0.4%$302 thousand

Fines and other11%

Interest, rents and other
11%$8.6 million
Fines
0.3%$232 thousand

Where it goes

Water, sewer, trash and utilities56%Roads, transit and parking13%Police, fire, courts and jails10%Running the government and other costs7.6%Parks, recreation and libraries5.5%All other spending7.0%

What stands out

56%

of Ellensburg's spending goes to water, sewer, trash and other utilities.A typical U.S. city of 10,000 to 50,000 people spends 24%.

Spending by category100%

Water, sewer, trash and utilities
56%$41.9 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesElectric power; gas supply and 2 more
  • Electric power$19.0 million
  • Gas supply$10.7 million
  • Water supply$6.1 million
  • Sewer systems$6.1 million
Roads, transit and parking
13%$10.1 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways and parking
  • Roads and highways$10.1 million
  • Parking$8 thousand
Police, fire, courts and jails
10%$7.9 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; fire protection and 2 more
  • Police$7.0 million
  • Fire protection$482 thousand
  • Prisons and jails$386 thousand
  • Courts and legal services$25 thousand
Running the government and other costs
7.6%$5.7 million
What's in running the government and other costsFinance, tax collection and budgeting; other and not broken out and 2 more
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$2.7 million
  • Other and not broken out$1.7 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$756 thousand
  • Other government-run businesses$484 thousand
Parks, recreation and libraries
5.5%$4.2 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$2.9 million
  • Libraries$1.3 million
Housing and community development
2.8%$2.1 million
Environment and natural resources
2.5%$1.8 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$1.8 million
Interest on debt
1.3%$955 thousand
What's in interest on debtInterest on general debt; interest on electric power debt and 1 more
  • Interest on general debt$528 thousand
  • Interest on electric power debt$244 thousand
  • Interest on water supply debt$183 thousand
Health and hospitals
0.5%$357 thousand
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$357 thousand
Social services
<0.1%$2 thousand
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$2 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

City of Ellensburg. 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 Ellensburg 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.