Town Hall · Burien

Burien, WA town hall & government

Burien spent $41.5 million in the year to December 31, 2022, about $810 per resident.

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

Local leadership

Who runs Burien

Kevin SchillingMayorSince 2024 · Term ends 2027 206-241-4647Email Out of date?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 If a name is out of date, tell us: when two neighbors agree, it's hidden until the records catch up.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 Burien's money goes

Spent
$41.5 million
fiscal year to December 31, 2022
Per resident
$810
typical Washington cities: $1,978
Long-term debt
$16 million
$313 per resident
Police
$12.7 million31%
Roads & transportation
$7.3 million18%
Parks & libraries
$5.1 million12%
Administration & buildings
$4.6 million11%
Sewer & trash
$2.3 million5%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$2 million5%
Housing & development
$927,0002%
Interest on debt
$667,0002%
Health & welfare
$278,0001%
Other
$5.8 million14%

Where the money comes from

  • Sales taxes 32%
  • From the state 21%
  • Property taxes 16%
  • Other taxes & licenses 15%
  • Fees & charges 9%
  • From other local governments 4%
  • Interest, fines & other 1%
  • From the federal government <1%
Town workforce · Census estimate

Who works for Burien

Full-time staff
70
36 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$98,500
a year, before benefits
Parks & libraries
12 full-time34 part
Administration & buildings
27 full-time2 part
Roads & transportation
11 full-time
Courts, inspections & corrections
2 full-time
Other
18 full-time

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2022. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate. Burien didn't report its staffing to the Census Bureau, so these are the Bureau's estimates.

Schools · school year 2023–24

Highline School District

Burien's K–12 school district, shared with Normandy Park, SeaTac and Des Moines. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$21,280
Washington: $18,444
Students
17,823
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$550 million
at year end

Where the district's money comes from Washington districts overall: 27% local, 66% state, 8% federal

  • Local 31%
  • State 58%
  • Federal 10%

Of the $21,280 per pupil, $12,300 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 Burien pay

Typical tax bill
$6,004
a year · Washington typical $4,556
Effective rate
0.94%
of home value · Washington 0.81%
Typical home value
$638,800
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 Burien's government

Town hall & decisions in Burien →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Burien

Burien is represented in Congress by Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell and Representative Pramila Jayapal. Bob Ferguson is governor.

All of Burien'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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Burien

Washington · WA
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