Town Hall · Ferndale

Ferndale, CA town hall & government

Ferndale spent $2.3 million in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,659 per resident.

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

Town budget

Where Ferndale's money goes

Spent
$2.3 million
fiscal year to June 30, 2022
Per resident
$1,659
typical California cities: $1,906
Long-term debt
$4.1 million
$2,986 per resident
Sewer & trash
$817,00036%
Police
$563,00025%
Administration & buildings
$450,00020%
Roads & transportation
$182,0008%
Interest on debt
$97,0004%
Parks & libraries
$39,0002%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$34,0002%
Housing & development
$8,000<1%
Health & welfare
$6,000<1%
Other
$64,0003%

Where the money comes from

  • Fees & charges 46%
  • Sales taxes 21%
  • From the state 15%
  • Property taxes 14%
  • Other taxes & licenses 3%
  • Interest, fines & other 2%
Town workforce

Who works for Ferndale

Full-time staff
12
6 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$72,000
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
5
full-time, with power of arrest
Police
5 full-time1 part
Administration & buildings
3 full-time
Sewer & trash
2 full-time2 part
Roads & transportation
2 full-time
Parks & libraries
0 full-time1 part
Other
0 full-time2 part

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2022. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate.

Schools · school year 2023–24

Ferndale Unified School District

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

Spending per pupil
$21,751
California: $21,206
Students
482
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$103,000
at year end

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

  • Local 35%
  • State 59%
  • Federal 6%

Of the $21,751 per pupil, $13,373 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 Ferndale pay

Typical tax bill
$3,130
a year · California typical $5,124
Effective rate
0.58%
of home value · California 0.70%
Typical home value
$542,000
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. In a town this small the survey estimate has a wide margin.

Local

Contact Ferndale's government

🏛️ Official websiteci.ferndale.ca.us ↗

Town hall & decisions in Ferndale →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Ferndale

Ferndale is represented in Congress by Senators Alex Padilla and Adam B. Schiff and Representative Jared Huffman. Gavin Newsom is governor.

All of Ferndale'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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Ferndale

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