Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0How is Fountain Valley run?
Fountain Valley’s city government spent $78.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $1,388 per resident. Water and other utilities ($8.4 million) are counted separately.
Housing & Community Development Advisory Board
6:00 pm · City Hall - City Council Chambers, 10200 Slater Ave
All meetings →What stands out about how Fountain Valley is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
5 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Fountain Valley’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov4Housing & Community Development Advisory BoardWednesday · 6:00 pm · City Hall - City Council Chambers, 10200 Slater AveRegular Housing and Community Development Advisory Board MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov11GeneralWednesday · 6:00 pm · City Hall - City Council Chambers, 10200 Slater AvePlanning Commission Meeting -CancelledMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov17City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pm · City Hall - City Council Chambers, 10200 Slater AveCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Dec2Housing & Community Development Advisory BoardWednesday · 6:00 pm · City Hall - City Council Chambers, 10200 Slater AveRegular Housing and Community Development Advisory Board MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Dec9GeneralWednesday · 6:00 pm · City Hall - City Council Chambers, 10200 Slater AvePlanning Commission MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Nov3City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pm · City Hall - City Council Chambers, 10200 Slater AveCity Council MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct20City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pm · City Hall - City Council Chambers, 10200 Slater AveAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct14Planning CommissionWednesday · 6:00 pm · City Hall - City Council Chambers, 10200 Slater AvePlanning Commission MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct7Housing & Community Development Advisory BoardWednesday · 6:00 pm · City Hall - City Council Chambers, 10200 Slater AveRegular Housing and Community Development Advisory Board MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Oct6City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pm · City Hall - City Council Chambers, 10200 Slater AveAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $1,388 per resident a year, or $3.80 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 28%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,260 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Fountain Valley’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,260 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 101 California cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,270, and the middle half spent $889–$1,772. Fountain Valley spent less than 52% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($4.9 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
California cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Fountain Valley itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 12% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Fountain Valley reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,260 · 2023: $1,388.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $5,975 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.56% of the home’s value, vs 0.70% across California.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Fountain Valley’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.
Tax bills are one input to Fountain Valley’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Fountain Valley →
Who’s in charge in Fountain Valley
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 262 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (56,495).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Huntington Beach Union High School District
Fountain Valley’s high school district, shared with Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, Westminster, Garden Grove. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,463 per pupil, $10,924 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.
California districts overall: 36% local, 52% state, 11% federal.
Fountain Valley Elementary School District · $15,410 per pupil
Garden Grove Unified School District · $21,521 per pupil
Ocean View Elementary School District · $17,745 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Fountain Valley’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Fountain Valley alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Orange County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat49.7%691,577 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican47.1%654,494 votesOthers: 3.2% (44,403 votes).
Most votes in Orange County: Kamala D Harris
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Fountain Valley lies in Orange County. Every 2024 race in Orange County is on the county’s page.
Orange County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Fountain Valley.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: fountainvalley.org ↗
- 2California AssemblyState representatives
- 3California SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of California
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Fountain Valley compares with the towns next door
Fountain Valley spent $1,260 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $830 to $2,149. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Westminster | $830 | $5,217 |
| Garden Grove | $1,307 | $5,087 |
| Huntington Beach | $1,488 | $6,234 |
| Santa Ana | $2,149 | $3,997 |
| Fountain Valley | $1,260 | $5,975 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Fountain Valley’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Fountain Valley’s government
How much does Fountain Valley spend per resident?
About $1,388 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,260 was less than 52% of 101 California cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Fountain Valley?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,975 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.56% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see fountainvalley.org.
Who runs Fountain Valley’s government?
See fountainvalley.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Fountain Valley yet.
How did Fountain Valley vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Fountain Valley alone. Orange County, where 100% of Fountain Valley lies, voted Harris 49.7%, Trump 47.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Fountain Valley?
216 full-time and 40 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $2.1M (about $25.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Fountain Valley in the state legislature?
State Senate District 36 (Tony Strickland) and Assembly District 70 (Tri Ta). The Assembly district also covers seven other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Fountain Valley?
The next posted meeting is Housing & Community Development Advisory Board on Wednesday, November 4, at 6:00 pm in City Hall - City Council Chambers, 10200 Slater Ave, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Fountain Valley’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →