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Town Hall · Starke

How Starke is run

Starke spent $19.4 million in the year to September 30, 2023, about $3,326 per resident.

Town website
Photo: StarkeDCD
City budget
$19.4 million
spent, year to September 30, 2023
Per resident
$3,326
Above typical Florida cities ($2,814)
Long-term debt
$1.2 million
$208 per resident
City staff
83
full-time · 5 part-time
Typical tax bill
$1,027
a year · FL $2,730

What stands out about how Starke is run

Read from the town’s budget, meetings and records. The page puts what stands out first.

★ What stands out · Your share of the budget

About $3,326 per resident a year, or $9.11 a day

The biggest line: water & other utilities, at 54% of spending.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 56%Sales taxes 11%Fees & charges 10%From the federal government 7%From the state 7%Property taxes 5%Interest, fines & other 2%Other taxes & licenses 2%
Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,027 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.48% of the home’s value, vs 0.76% across Florida.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Florida$2,730
Starke$1,027
$1,027
typical bill a year
0.48%
effective rate
$214,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Starke’s rate.

Can I afford it? →

The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.

The school district

Bradford County School District

Starke’s K–12 school district, shared with Brooker, Hampton, Lawtey. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Starke →
$12,025
per pupil · FL $13,006
2,928
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $12,025 per pupil, $5,898 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 25%State 51%Federal 24%

Florida districts overall: 55% local, 29% state, 15% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Who works for Starke

One full-time town employee for every 70 residents

On the payroll in March 2022.

By department full-time, plus part-time

Police23
Administration & buildings20 + 1 pt
Fire13 + 4 pt
Water & other utilities11
Sewer & trash4
Courts, inspections & corrections3
Parks & libraries1
Other8
83
full-time
5
part-time
$45,900
average full-time pay, before benefits
20
sworn police officers
13
full-time firefighters

Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it’s approximate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Starke

Local officials aren’t in the public records we use for Starke yet. Neighbors can add them.

Over the years

Per resident, spending is up 7% since 2022

Spending per resident, by fiscal year. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.

Spending per resident by year

2022$3,105
2023$3,326
$19.4 million
spent in 2023
$17 million
spent in 2022

* A Census Bureau estimate for that year (the town didn’t report most of its figures).

Who represents Starke

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Starke.

Politics & elections →
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Florida HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Florida SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Florida

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Starke’s government

Numbers and hours come from neighbors and the town’s own site (the Handbook). A new one goes live once two neighbors confirm it.

The Handbook →
Official websitecityofstarke.org ↗

Questions about how Starke is run?

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Weigh in
Does Starke get good value for its tax dollars?

Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.

Ask neighbors

Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. School district: Census school finance survey. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 5-year estimates. Representatives: Open States, the Census and congress-legislators.

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