Town Hall · Vista

Vista, CA town hall & government

Vista spent $311.6 million in the year to June 30, 2022, about $3,097 per resident.

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

Local leadership

Who runs Vista

John B. FranklinMayorTerm ends 2026 760-689-2220Email Source ↗ Out of date?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 If a name is out of date, tell us: when two neighbors agree, it's hidden until the records catch up.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 Vista's money goes

Spent
$311.6 million
fiscal year to June 30, 2022
Per resident
$3,097
typical California cities: $1,906
Long-term debt
$116.7 million
$1,160 per resident
Administration & buildings
$112.4 million36%
Sewer & trash
$36.8 million12%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$30.6 million10%
Police
$28.7 million9%
Paid to other governments
$20.7 million7%
Fire
$19.3 million6%
Roads & transportation
$17.6 million6%
Parks & libraries
$15.8 million5%
Health & welfare
$10.9 million3%
Housing & development
$3.6 million1%
Interest on debt
$2.7 million1%
Other
$12.5 million4%

Where the money comes from

  • Fees & charges 34%
  • Sales taxes 27%
  • Property taxes 15%
  • From other local governments 11%
  • From the state 7%
  • Other taxes & licenses 4%
  • From the federal government 4%
Town workforce

Who works for Vista

Full-time staff
330
75 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$113,300
a year, before benefits
Full-time firefighters
83
on the town payroll
Fire
109 full-time1 part
Parks & libraries
32 full-time66 part
Administration & buildings
57 full-time2 part
Roads & transportation
39 full-time
Sewer & trash
31 full-time
Health & welfare
8 full-time
Courts, inspections & corrections
6 full-time
Housing & development
5 full-time
Other
43 full-time6 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

Vista Unified School District

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

Spending per pupil
$19,399
California: $21,206
Students
18,469
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$266.8 million
at year end

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

  • Local 35%
  • State 53%
  • Federal 12%

Of the $19,399 per pupil, $12,177 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 Vista: San Marcos Unified School District ($16,525 per pupil).

Property tax

What homeowners in Vista pay

Typical tax bill
$4,929
a year · California typical $5,124
Effective rate
0.65%
of home value · California 0.70%
Typical home value
$762,400
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 Vista's government

🏛️ Official websitecityofvista.com ↗

Town hall & decisions in Vista →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Vista

Vista is represented in Congress by Senators Alex Padilla and Adam B. Schiff and Representative Mike Levin. Gavin Newsom is governor.

All of Vista'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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Vista

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