Town Hall · Kelso

Kelso, WA town hall & government

Kelso spent $30 million in the year to December 31, 2022, about $2,413 per resident.

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

Local leadership

Who runs Kelso

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 If a name is out of date, tell us: when two neighbors agree, it's hidden until the records catch up.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 Kelso's town hall

  • Oct 6Tue · 6:00 pm
    City CouncilCity Council Meeting203 S. Pacific Ave Meeting page ↗
  • Oct 6Tue · 6:00 pm
    City CouncilCity Council Meeting203 S. Pacific Ave Meeting page ↗
  • Oct 6Tue · 6:00 pm
    City CouncilCity Council Meeting203 S. Pacific Ave Meeting page ↗
  • Oct 20Tue · 6:00 pm
    City CouncilCity Council Meeting203 S. Pacific Ave Meeting page ↗
  • Nov 3Tue · 6:00 pm
    City CouncilCity Council Meeting203 S. Pacific Ave Meeting page ↗
  • Nov 3Tue · 6:00 pm
    City CouncilCity Council Meeting203 S. Pacific Ave Meeting page ↗

Recent meetings

Official listings from Kelso'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 Kelso's money goes

Spent
$30 million
fiscal year to December 31, 2022
Per resident
$2,413
typical Washington cities: $1,978
Long-term debt
$19.9 million
$1,600 per resident
Roads & transportation
$8.9 million29%
Sewer & trash
$7.1 million24%
Police
$4.6 million15%
Water & other utilities
$3.6 million12%
Administration & buildings
$1.7 million6%
Parks & libraries
$963,0003%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$586,0002%
Interest on debt
$445,0001%
Fire
$171,0001%
Health & welfare
$137,000<1%
Housing & development
$133,000<1%
Other
$1.7 million6%

Where the money comes from

  • Fees & charges 31%
  • From the state 22%
  • Sales taxes 22%
  • Utility sales 13%
  • Other taxes & licenses 5%
  • Property taxes 5%
  • From other local governments 1%
  • Interest, fines & other 1%
  • From the federal government <1%
Town workforce · Census estimate

Who works for Kelso

Full-time staff
79
17 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$91,900
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
27
full-time, with power of arrest
Police
34 full-time1 part
Administration & buildings
10 full-time9 part
Parks & libraries
7 full-time7 part
Water & other utilities
7 full-time
Sewer & trash
5 full-time
Roads & transportation
4 full-time
Housing & development
2 full-time
Other
10 full-time

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

Schools · school year 2023–24

Kelso School District

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

Spending per pupil
$17,454
Washington: $18,444
Students
4,949
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$86.3 million
at year end

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

  • Local 17%
  • State 73%
  • Federal 10%

Of the $17,454 per pupil, $9,962 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 Kelso pay

Typical tax bill
$2,945
a year · Washington typical $4,556
Effective rate
0.87%
of home value · Washington 0.81%
Typical home value
$337,600
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 Kelso's government

🏛️ Official websitekelso.gov ↗

Town hall & decisions in Kelso →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Kelso

Kelso is represented in Congress by Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell and Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. Bob Ferguson is governor.

All of Kelso'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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Kelso

Washington · WA
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