Town Hall · Berkeley

Berkeley, CA town hall & government

Berkeley spent $574.3 million in the year to June 30, 2024, about $4,828 per resident.

Where the money goes, where it comes from, property taxes, and how to reach Berkeley's government.

Local leadership

Who runs Berkeley

Adena IshiiMayorSince 2024 Wikidata ↗ Out of date? Sign in to tell us

From public records (Open States and Wikidata), which can lag behind an election. If a name is out of date, tell us: when two neighbors agree, it's hidden until the records catch up.

Town budget

Where Berkeley's money goes

Spent
$574.3 million
fiscal year to June 30, 2024
Per resident
$4,828
typical California cities: $2,964
Long-term debt
$325.7 million
$2,738 per resident
Police
$91.4 million16%
Sewer & trash
$70.7 million12%
Parks & libraries
$64.7 million11%
Health & welfare
$63.8 million11%
Administration & buildings
$55.9 million10%
Roads & transportation
$55.6 million10%
Fire
$47.3 million8%
Housing & development
$37.3 million6%
Interest on debt
$14.3 million2%
Other
$73.2 million13%

Where the money comes from

  • Fees & charges 39%
  • Property taxes 22%
  • Other taxes & licenses 11%
  • Sales taxes 10%
  • Interest, fines & other 8%
  • From the state 7%
  • From the federal government 4%
  • From other local governments 1%
Town workforce

Who works for Berkeley

Full-time staff
1,775
257 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$140,400
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
351
and 160 full-time firefighters
Police
554 full-time37 part
Administration & buildings
225 full-time26 part
Parks & libraries
154 full-time81 part
Housing & development
152 full-time76 part
Fire
174 full-time
Health & welfare
158 full-time20 part
Sewer & trash
155 full-time
Roads & transportation
114 full-time
Courts, inspections & corrections
10 full-time
Other
79 full-time17 part

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2025. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate.

Schools · school year 2023–24

Berkeley Unified School District

Berkeley's K–12 school district. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$24,977
California: $21,206
Students
9,077
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$306.8 million
at year end

Where the district's money comes from California districts overall: 36% local, 52% state, 11% federal

  • Local 64%
  • State 32%
  • Federal 4%

Of the $24,977 per pupil, $14,672 goes to classroom instruction (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to support services such as buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren't in the per-pupil figure.

Property tax

What homeowners in Berkeley pay

Typical tax bill
$10,000+
a year · California typical $5,124
Typical home value
$1,413,900
owner-occupied

The median yearly bill homeowners report, covering every local property tax on the home (town, schools, county). The effective rate is that bill divided by the median home value, so it's a rough guide, not the official tax rate.

Local

Contact Berkeley's government

Town hall & decisions in Berkeley →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Berkeley

Berkeley is represented in Congress by Senators Alex Padilla and Adam B. Schiff and Representative Lateefah Simon. Gavin Newsom is governor.

All of Berkeley's representatives, with contacts →

Budget: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Finance (every city and town government's revenue, spending and debt, grouped into plain categories). Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

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Berkeley

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01