Town Hall · Ridgecrest

Ridgecrest, CA town hall & government

Ridgecrest spent $17.3 million in the year to June 30, 2022, about $592 per resident.

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

Town budget

Where Ridgecrest's money goes

Spent
$17.3 million
fiscal year to June 30, 2022
Per resident
$592
typical California cities: $1,906
Long-term debt
$40.9 million
$1,405 per resident
Police
$5.6 million32%
Administration & buildings
$2.8 million16%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$2.7 million16%
Parks & libraries
$1.8 million11%
Interest on debt
$1.8 million11%
Health & welfare
$1.1 million6%
Roads & transportation
$1 million6%
Fire
$274,0002%
Housing & development
$137,0001%
Other
$202,0001%

Where the money comes from

  • Fees & charges 26%
  • Sales taxes 23%
  • Other taxes & licenses 23%
  • Property taxes 9%
  • Interest, fines & other 7%
  • From the state 5%
  • From the federal government 5%
  • Utility sales 2%
  • From other local governments 1%
Town workforce

Who works for Ridgecrest

Full-time staff
99
19 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$79,300
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
29
full-time, with power of arrest
Police
39 full-time3 part
Administration & buildings
12 full-time10 part
Roads & transportation
17 full-time
Parks & libraries
12 full-time6 part
Sewer & trash
7 full-time
Housing & development
4 full-time
Health & welfare
3 full-time
Other
5 full-time

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

Schools · school year 2023–24

Sierra Sands Unified School District

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

Spending per pupil
$16,729
California: $21,206
Students
5,122
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$16.7 million
at year end

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

  • Local 12%
  • State 54%
  • Federal 34%

Of the $16,729 per pupil, $9,220 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 Ridgecrest pay

Typical tax bill
$2,448
a year · California typical $5,124
Effective rate
0.96%
of home value · California 0.70%
Typical home value
$253,900
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 Ridgecrest's government

🏛️ Official websiteridgecrest-ca.gov ↗

Town hall & decisions in Ridgecrest →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Ridgecrest

Ridgecrest is represented in Congress by Senators Alex Padilla and Adam B. Schiff and Representative Vince Fong. Gavin Newsom is governor.

All of Ridgecrest'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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Ridgecrest

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