Town Hall · Lafayette

Lafayette, LA town hall & government

Lafayette spent $721 million in the year to October 31, 2024, about $5,940 per resident.

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

Local leadership

Who runs Lafayette

Josh GuilloryMayorSince 2020 Wikidata ↗ Out of date?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 If a name is out of date, tell us: when two neighbors agree, it's hidden until the records catch up.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 Lafayette's money goes

Spent
$721 million
fiscal year to October 31, 2024
Per resident
$5,940
typical Louisiana cities: $2,793
Long-term debt
$390.1 million
$3,214 per resident
Water & other utilities
$244.4 million34%
Police
$124.9 million17%
Roads & transportation
$85.8 million12%
Administration & buildings
$48.9 million7%
Sewer & trash
$47.8 million7%
Parks & libraries
$41.7 million6%
Fire
$32.3 million4%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$27.9 million4%
Housing & development
$23 million3%
Interest on debt
$9.5 million1%
Health & welfare
$9.2 million1%
Paid to other governments
$2.1 million<1%
Other
$23.4 million3%

Where the money comes from

  • Utility sales 36%
  • Property taxes 19%
  • Fees & charges 18%
  • Sales taxes 16%
  • Interest, fines & other 5%
  • From the federal government 3%
  • From the state 2%
  • Other taxes & licenses 1%
  • From other local governments <1%
Town workforce · Census estimate

Who works for Lafayette

Full-time staff
3,112
272 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$62,900
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
720
and 254 full-time firefighters
Police
1,077 full-time53 part
Courts, inspections & corrections
484 full-time21 part
Parks & libraries
236 full-time131 part
Fire
278 full-time
Administration & buildings
230 full-time14 part
Roads & transportation
219 full-time22 part
Water & other utilities
193 full-time18 part
Sewer & trash
100 full-time3 part
Housing & development
65 full-time2 part
Health & welfare
49 full-time3 part
Other
181 full-time5 part

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

Schools · school year 2023–24

Lafayette Parish School District

Lafayette's K–12 school district, shared with Carencro, Scott, Youngsville, Broussard and Duson. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$14,043
Louisiana: $15,623
Students
30,991
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$293.8 million
at year end

Where the district's money comes from Louisiana districts overall: 47% local, 34% state, 19% federal

  • Local 52%
  • State 31%
  • Federal 18%

Of the $14,043 per pupil, $8,246 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 Lafayette pay

Typical tax bill
$1,482
a year · Louisiana typical $1,180
Effective rate
0.58%
of home value · Louisiana 0.55%
Typical home value
$257,000
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 Lafayette's government

🏛️ Official websitelafayettetravel.com ↗
Town hall hoursAdministrative Offices Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.; Visitors Center Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Saturday & Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Town hall & decisions in Lafayette →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Lafayette

Lafayette is represented in Congress by Senators Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy and Representatives Clay Higgins and Cleo Fields. Jeff Landry is governor.

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