Photo: Wulfnoth of English Wikipedia · CC BY 3.0How is Santa Rosa run?
Santa Rosa’s city government spent $282.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $1,598 per resident. Water and other utilities ($67.1 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Santa Rosa is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Santa Rosa
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: srcity.org ↗
Santa Rosa’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on srcity.org ↗.
About $1,598 per resident a year, or $4.38 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 26%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,576 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Santa Rosa’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,576 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 59 California cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,350, and the middle half spent $1,086–$2,038. Santa Rosa spent more than 64% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($48 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 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Santa Rosa itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 3% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Santa Rosa 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: $1,576 · 2023: $1,598.
full-time in March 2025, up from 1,092 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $5,019 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.70% 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 Santa Rosa’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 Santa Rosa’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Santa Rosa →
One full-time city employee for every 152 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (176,938).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Rincon Valley Union Elementary School District
Santa Rosa’s elementary school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $20,671 per pupil, $12,372 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.
Wright Elementary School District · $20,899 per pupil
West Sonoma County Union High School District · $20,604 per pupil
Bellevue Union School District · $24,096 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Santa Rosa’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Santa Rosa alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Sonoma County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat71.4%179,176 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican25.2%63,219 votesOthers: 3.3% (8,378 votes).
Most votes in Sonoma County: Kamala D Harris
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Santa Rosa lies in Sonoma County. Every 2024 race in Sonoma County is on the county’s page.
Sonoma 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 Santa Rosa.
- 1Your cityMayorMark Stappas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2California AssemblySanta Rosa is split between 2 districts
- 3California SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of California
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Santa Rosa compares with the towns next door
No neighbor is close in size, so the comparison above uses California cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Sebastopol | $1,918 | $5,868 |
| Santa Rosa | $1,576 | $5,019 |
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 Santa Rosa’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Santa Rosa’s government
How much does Santa Rosa spend per resident?
About $1,598 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 $1,576 was more than 64% of 59 California cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Santa Rosa?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,019 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.70% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see srcity.org.
Who is the mayor of Santa Rosa?
Mark Stapp, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on srcity.org.
How did Santa Rosa vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Santa Rosa alone. Sonoma County, where 100% of Santa Rosa lies, voted Harris 71.4%, Trump 25.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Santa Rosa?
1,164 full-time and 226 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $13.2M (about $158.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Santa Rosa in the state legislature?
Santa Rosa is split among 2 Assembly districts, so your address decides. The California Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 2 (Mike McGuire). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Santa Rosa’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 →