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Scotts Valley CA city hallPhoto: Photo by John Pilge. · Public domain
Town Hall · Scotts Valley

How is Scotts Valley run?

Scotts Valley’s city government spent $16.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,365 per resident.

Town website
Next public meeting

City Council

6:00 pm · City Council Chambers, 1 Civic Center Drive, Scotts Valley CA 95066

All meetings →
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$16.4M
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,365
In 2022: $1,365, less than 52% of 101 similar cities
Long-term debt
$11.6M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
51
full-time · 24 part-time · March payroll $442,161
Typical tax bill
$7,933
0.72% of home value · CA 0.70%

What stands out about how Scotts Valley is run

Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.

Agendas posted online6 upcoming meetings posted, with agendas.
★ What stands out · Meetings

6 upcoming meetings at town hall

From Scotts Valley’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.

Recent meetings

Go in person

Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.

Agenda portal ↗
Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,365 per resident a year, or $3.74 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 36%.

Where the money comes from
Other taxes & licenses 25%Sales taxes 25%Fees & charges 22%Property taxes 11%Interest, fines & other 6%From the federal government 5%From other local governments 4%From the state 3%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $3.8 million; interest on debt $529,000. With these, the whole budget was $20.7 million.
Compared with similar places

$1,365 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

Scotts Valley’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,365 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 101 California cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,385, and the middle half spent $885–$1,910. Scotts Valley spent less than 52% of them.

Middle half of the group, $885–$1,910Median $1,385Scotts Valley

Includes sewer and trash ($2 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 →

The group
101

California cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Scotts Valley itself left out).

Over the years

No trend yet

Scotts Valley reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $7,933 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.72% of the home’s value, vs 0.70% across California.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Scotts Valley$7,933
California$5,124
$7,933
typical bill a year
0.72%
effective rate
$1,105,700
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Scotts 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 Scotts Valley’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Scotts Valley →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Scotts Valley

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See scottsvalley.org for Scotts Valley’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Scotts Valley yet.scottsvalley.org ↗
Who works for Scotts Valley

One full-time city employee for every 235 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (11,995).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Police27 + 5 pt
Administration & buildings7 + 16 pt
Sewer & trash6
Roads & transportation5 + 1 pt
Parks & libraries3 + 1 pt
Housing & development2
Health & welfare0 + 1 pt
Other1
51
full-time
24
part-time
$442,161
payroll for March 2022
$5.3M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$100,600
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
16
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Scotts Valley had 4.3 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 79 of the 101 California cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 4.7: Scotts Valley had fewer than 59% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Scotts Valley Unified School District

Scotts Valley’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Scotts Valley →
$15,888
per pupil · CA $21,206
2,107
students
$34.8 million
long-term debt

Of the $15,888 per pupil, $9,273 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 66%State 31%Federal 3%

California districts overall: 36% local, 52% state, 11% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Scotts 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 Scotts Valley alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Santa Cruz County’s results.

President · Santa Cruz County’s results133,949 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat75.3%100,877 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican20.8%27,924 votes

Others: 3.8% (5,148 votes).

Most votes in Santa Cruz County: Kamala D Harris

California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%

The county’s page

100% of Scotts Valley lies in Santa Cruz County. Every 2024 race in Santa Cruz County is on the county’s page.

Santa Cruz County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Scotts Valley

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Scotts Valley.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: scottsvalley.org ↗
  2. 2
    California AssemblyState representatives
    Gail Pellerin
  3. 3
    California SenateState senator
    John Laird
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Gavin Newsom
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Jimmy Panetta
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of California
    Alex PadillaAdam B. Schiff

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Scotts Valley’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →
Official websitescottsvalley.org ↗

Questions about Scotts Valley’s government

How much does Scotts Valley spend per resident?

About $1,365 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,365 was less than 52% of 101 California cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Scotts Valley?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $7,933 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.72% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see scottsvalley.org.

Who runs Scotts Valley’s government?

See scottsvalley.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Scotts Valley yet.

How did Scotts Valley vote in 2024?

California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Scotts Valley alone. Santa Cruz County, where 100% of Scotts Valley lies, voted Harris 75.3%, Trump 20.8% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Scotts Valley?

51 full-time and 24 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $442,161 (about $5.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Scotts Valley in the state legislature?

State Senate District 17 (John Laird) and Assembly District 28 (Gail Pellerin). The Assembly district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

When is the next public meeting in Scotts Valley?

The next posted meeting is City Council on Wednesday, November 4, at 6:00 pm in City Council Chambers, 1 Civic Center Drive, Scotts Valley CA 95066, from the city’s own agenda portal.

Ask neighbors about Scotts Valley’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →