Town Hall · Shafter

Shafter, CA town hall & government

Shafter spent $42.7 million in the year to June 30, 2022, about $2,058 per resident.

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

Meetings

Coming up at Shafter's town hall

  • Oct 6Tue · 5:00 pm
    City CouncilOctober 6, 2026 Special Joint Meeting - Shafter City Council & Planning Commission336 Pacific Avenue Meeting page ↗
  • Oct 6Tue · 6:00 pm
    City CouncilShafter City Council336 Pacific Avenue Meeting page ↗
  • Oct 13Tue · 6:00 pm
    Planning CommissionPlanning Commission Meeting336 Pacific Avenue Meeting page ↗
  • Oct 20Tue · 6:00 pm
    City CouncilShafter City Council336 Pacific Avenue Meeting page ↗
  • Nov 3Tue · 6:00 pm
    City CouncilShafter City Council336 Pacific Avenue Meeting page ↗
  • Nov 10Tue · 6:00 pm
    Planning CommissionPlanning Commission Meeting336 Pacific Avenue Meeting page ↗

Recent meetings

Official listings from Shafter's agenda portal ↗, checked daily. Times are local. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check the portal before you go.

Town budget

Where Shafter's money goes

Spent
$42.7 million
fiscal year to June 30, 2022
Per resident
$2,058
typical California cities: $1,906
Long-term debt
$289,000
$14 per resident
Administration & buildings
$20.3 million47%
Police
$7.2 million17%
Water & other utilities
$3.2 million7%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$2.7 million6%
Roads & transportation
$2.6 million6%
Sewer & trash
$2 million5%
Parks & libraries
$1.2 million3%
Health & welfare
$670,0002%
Interest on debt
$20,000<1%
Housing & development
$1,000<1%
Other
$2.9 million7%

Where the money comes from

  • Sales taxes 47%
  • Fees & charges 12%
  • Other taxes & licenses 11%
  • Property taxes 11%
  • Utility sales 10%
  • Interest, fines & other 4%
  • From the state 2%
  • From other local governments 2%
  • From the federal government 1%
Town workforce

Who works for Shafter

Full-time staff
113
19 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$85,700
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
32
full-time, with power of arrest
Police
41 full-time
Administration & buildings
32 full-time
Roads & transportation
13 full-time3 part
Water & other utilities
5 full-time
Parks & libraries
4 full-time1 part
Sewer & trash
4 full-time
Health & welfare
3 full-time
Other
11 full-time15 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

Kern High School District

Shafter's high school district, shared with Arvin and Bakersfield. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$19,073
California: $21,206
Students
43,116
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$371.6 million
at year end

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

  • Local 24%
  • State 63%
  • Federal 12%

Of the $19,073 per pupil, $9,253 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.

Also serving Shafter: Richland Union School District ($22,540 per pupil) · Rio Bravo-Greeley Union Elementary School District ($16,285 per pupil) · Norris Elementary School District ($13,454 per pupil).

Property tax

What homeowners in Shafter pay

Typical tax bill
$2,634
a year · California typical $5,124
Effective rate
0.78%
of home value · California 0.70%
Typical home value
$335,800
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 Shafter's government

🏛️ Official websiteshafter.com ↗

Town hall & decisions in Shafter →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Shafter

Shafter is represented in Congress by Senators Alex Padilla and Adam B. Schiff and Representative David G. Valadao. Gavin Newsom is governor.

All of Shafter'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.

You’re browsing

Shafter

California · CA
View town boundary →
Township / city / CDP overlaps possible.
Loading boundary…

Shafter is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

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