Town Hall · Galveston

Galveston, TX town hall & government

Galveston spent $326.1 million in the year to September 30, 2024, about $6,142 per resident.

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

Local leadership

Who runs Galveston

Craig BrownMayorSince 2020 Wikidata ↗ Out of date?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 If a name is out of date, tell us: when two neighbors agree, it's hidden until the records catch up.

Meetings

Coming up at Galveston's town hall

  • Oct 5Mon · 4:00 pm
    Landmark CommissionCity Hall - Council Chambers, 823 Rosenberg Meeting page ↗
  • Oct 6Tue · 3:30 pm
    Planning CommissionCity Hall - Council Chambers, 823 Rosenberg Meeting page ↗
  • Oct 7Wed · 3:30 pm
    Zoning Board of AdjustmentsZoning Board of AdjustmentCity Hall - Council Chambers, 823 Rosenberg Meeting page ↗
  • Oct 8Thu · 10:00 am
    Galveston Housing Finance Corporation/Galveston Property Finance AuthorityGalveston Housing Finance CorporationGalveston Property Finance AuthorityCity Hall - Room 204, 823 Rosenberg Meeting page ↗
  • Oct 8Thu · 1:30 pm
    Arts Development CommissionCity Hall - Room 204 -, 823 Rosenberg Meeting page ↗
  • Oct 15Thu · 3:00 pm
    Comprehensive Plan Steering Ad Hoc CommitteeComprehensive Plan Steering Committee - Community Workshop 2Historic Galveston Water and Electric Light Community Center at, 715 30th Street Meeting page ↗

Recent meetings

  • Sep 29Tue · 10:00 am
    Galveston Firefighters' Pension BoardCentral Fire Station - 3rd Floor Conference RM 305 -, 823 26th Street Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Sep 28Mon · 12:00 pm
    Parks & Recreation Advisory BoardMcGuire-Dent Recreation Center, 2222 28th Street Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Sep 28Mon · 9:00 am
    Galveston Housing AuthorityWalter Norris Jr. Community Center - Community Room, 4700 Broadway Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Sep 25Fri · 10:00 am
    Employee Health Benefits PlanCity Hall - Room 100 -, 823 Rosenberg Street Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Sep 24Thu · 10:00 am
    Galveston Housing Finance Corporation/Galveston Property Finance AuthorityGalveston Housing Finance CorporationGalveston Property Finance AuthorityCity Hall - RM 204, 823 Rosenberg Street Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Sep 23Wed · 11:30 am
    Sister Cities Program CommitteeCity Hall - Room 204, 823 Rosenberg Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Sep 23Wed · 9:30 am
    Galveston Wharves BoardPort of Galveston -, 123 Rosenberg St, 8th Floor Meeting page ↗
  • Sep 22Tue · 3:30 pm
    Planning CommissionCity Hall - Council Chambers, 823 Rosenberg Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗

Official listings from Galveston'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 Galveston's money goes

Spent
$326.1 million
fiscal year to September 30, 2024
Per resident
$6,142
typical Texas cities: $2,422
Long-term debt
$310.5 million
$5,849 per resident
Roads & transportation
$107.5 million33%
Parks & libraries
$57.5 million18%
Police
$36.3 million11%
Water & other utilities
$30.9 million9%
Sewer & trash
$29.2 million9%
Fire
$18.4 million6%
Administration & buildings
$13.9 million4%
Interest on debt
$8.3 million3%
Paid to other governments
$6.5 million2%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$2.7 million1%
Health & welfare
$1.3 million<1%
Housing & development
$1.2 million<1%
Other
$12.3 million4%

Where the money comes from

  • Fees & charges 33%
  • Sales taxes 28%
  • Property taxes 13%
  • Utility sales 8%
  • Interest, fines & other 6%
  • From the federal government 5%
  • From other local governments 5%
  • From the state 1%
  • Other taxes & licenses 1%
Town workforce

Who works for Galveston

Full-time staff
1,037
58 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$80,900
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
145
and 117 full-time firefighters
Roads & transportation
218 full-time
Police
188 full-time
Parks & libraries
142 full-time51 part
Fire
124 full-time
Sewer & trash
118 full-time
Water & other utilities
77 full-time
Administration & buildings
59 full-time1 part
Courts, inspections & corrections
14 full-time
Housing & development
13 full-time1 part
Other
84 full-time5 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

Galveston Independent School District

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

Spending per pupil
$13,797
Texas: $12,815
Students
6,446
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$329.8 million
at year end

Where the district's money comes from Texas districts overall: 51% local, 36% state, 13% federal

  • Local 78%
  • State 7%
  • Federal 16%

Of the $13,797 per pupil, $7,685 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 Galveston pay

Typical tax bill
$3,510
a year · Texas typical $4,232
Effective rate
1.08%
of home value · Texas 1.49%
Typical home value
$326,000
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 Galveston's government

🏛️ Official websitegalvestontx.gov ↗

Town hall & decisions in Galveston →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Galveston

Galveston is represented in Congress by Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz and Representative Randy K. Weber, Sr.. Greg Abbott is governor.

All of Galveston'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

Galveston

Texas · TX
View town boundary →
Township / city / CDP overlaps possible.
Loading boundary…

Galveston 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