Town Hall · Brighton

Brighton, CO town hall & government

Brighton spent $92.3 million in the year to December 31, 2022, about $2,263 per resident.

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

Town budget

Where Brighton's money goes

Spent
$92.3 million
fiscal year to December 31, 2022
Per resident
$2,263
typical Colorado cities: $2,526
Long-term debt
$56.4 million
$1,384 per resident
Water & other utilities
$28.6 million31%
Police
$14.6 million16%
Sewer & trash
$9.9 million11%
Parks & libraries
$8.1 million9%
Roads & transportation
$8 million9%
Housing & development
$5.9 million6%
Interest on debt
$1.2 million1%
Other
$15.9 million17%

Where the money comes from

  • Sales taxes 41%
  • Fees & charges 16%
  • Utility sales 13%
  • Interest, fines & other 11%
  • Property taxes 9%
  • From the state 7%
  • Other taxes & licenses 3%
Town workforce · Census estimate

Who works for Brighton

Full-time staff
381
118 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$94,500
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
82
full-time, with power of arrest
Police
118 full-time4 part
Parks & libraries
58 full-time99 part
Administration & buildings
73 full-time12 part
Water & other utilities
49 full-time
Housing & development
39 full-time
Roads & transportation
30 full-time
Courts, inspections & corrections
7 full-time2 part
Sewer & trash
7 full-time1 part

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2025. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate. Brighton didn't report its staffing to the Census Bureau, so these are the Bureau's estimates.

Schools · school year 2023–24

School District 27J

Brighton's K–12 school district, shared with Commerce City and Thornton. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$12,959
Colorado: $15,889
Students
23,139
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$529.8 million
at year end

Where the district's money comes from Colorado districts overall: 55% local, 37% state, 8% federal

  • Local 53%
  • State 43%
  • Federal 4%

Of the $12,959 per pupil, $7,340 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 Brighton: Weld County School District RE-8 ($14,431 per pupil).

Property tax

What homeowners in Brighton pay

Typical tax bill
$3,228
a year · Colorado typical $2,602
Effective rate
0.65%
of home value · Colorado 0.48%
Typical home value
$499,500
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 Brighton's government

🏛️ Official websitebrightonco.gov ↗

Town hall & decisions in Brighton →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Brighton

Brighton is represented in Congress by Senators Michael F. Bennet and John W. Hickenlooper and Representative Gabe Evans. Jared Polis is governor.

All of Brighton'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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Brighton

Colorado · CO
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