Photo: Binksternet · Public domainHow is Novato run?
Novato’s city government spent $70.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $1,330 per resident.
What stands out about how Novato is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
San Rafael City High School District
Novato’s high school district, shared with San Rafael. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $20,459 per pupil, $12,409 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.
Novato Unified School District · $17,908 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $1,330 per resident a year, or $3.64 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 26%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No comparison or trend for Novato yet
The fair comparison uses 2022, the last year the Census Bureau counted every government (later years are a sample), and Novato’s 2022 figures are a Census estimate (it reported none of its 2022 dollars). It reported 2023 only (2022 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet either. The next full count is 2027.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $8,101 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.78% 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 Novato’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 Novato’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Novato →
Who’s in charge in Novato
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Novato’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ci.novato.ca.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 288 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 (52,708).
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.
Novato’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Novato alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Marin County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat80.6%116,083 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican16.7%24,019 votesOthers: 2.7% (3,904 votes).
Most votes in Marin County: Kamala D Harris
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Novato lies in Marin County. Every 2024 race in Marin County is on the county’s page.
Marin 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 Novato.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.novato.ca.us ↗
- 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 Novato compares with the towns next door
Novato’s 2022 figures are a Census estimate, so it isn’t placed among them. None of its neighbors reported 2022 figures. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Novato | estimate | $8,101 |
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 Novato’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Novato’s government
How much does Novato spend per resident?
About $1,330 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau.
What is the property tax rate in Novato?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $8,101 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.78% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.novato.ca.us.
Who runs Novato’s government?
See ci.novato.ca.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Novato yet.
How did Novato vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Novato alone. Marin County, where 100% of Novato lies, voted Harris 80.6%, Trump 16.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Novato?
183 full-time and 27 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1.8M (about $21.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Novato in the state legislature?
State Senate District 2 (Mike McGuire) and Assembly District 12 (Damon Connolly). The Assembly district also covers 14 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Novato’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 →