How is South El Monte run?
South El Monte’s city government spent $22.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,078 per resident. Water and other utilities ($355,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how South El Monte is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From South El Monte’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov10Community Services CommissionTuesday · 6:00 pmCommunity Services Commission MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov11Homeless CommissionWednesday · 6:00 pmHomeless Commission MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov17City Council and Successor Agency to the South El Monte Improvement DistrictTuesday · 6:00 pmCity Council and Successor Agency to the South El Monte Improvement District MeetingsMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov24Planning CommissionTuesday · 6:00 pmPlanning Commission MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov25Patriotic CommissionWednesday · 6:00 pmPatriotic Commission MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Dec1City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pmCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Nov3City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pmCity Council Meeting - CANCELLEDMeeting page ↗
- Oct28Patriotic CommissionWednesday · 6:00 pmPatriotic Commission MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct27Planning CommissionTuesday · 6:00 pmPlanning Commission Meeting - CANCELLEDMeeting page ↗
- Oct21Advancement of Women and Girls CommissionWednesday · 6:00 pmAdvancement of Women and Girls Commission MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct20City Council and Successor Agency to the South El Monte Improvement DistrictTuesday · 6:00 pmCity Council and Successor Agency to the South El Monte Improvement District Meetings - CANCELLEDAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $1,078 per resident a year, or $2.95 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,078 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
South El Monte’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,078 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. South El Monte spent less than 62% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
California cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; South El Monte itself left out).
No trend yet
South El Monte reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,802 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.63% 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 South El Monte’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 South El Monte’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in South El Monte →
Who’s in charge in South El Monte
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 604 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 (21,126).
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.
El Monte Union High School District
South El Monte’s high school district, shared with Arcadia, Baldwin Park, El Monte, Irwindale, Monrovia and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $23,420 per pupil, $12,556 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.
El Monte City School District · $26,989 per pupil
Mountain View Elementary School District · $27,700 per pupil
Valle Lindo Elementary School District · $20,251 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
South El Monte’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for South El Monte alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Los Angeles County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat64.8%2,416,522 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican31.9%1,189,227 votesOthers: 3.3% (121,420 votes).
Most votes in Los Angeles County: Kamala D Harris
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of South El Monte lies in Los Angeles County. Every 2024 race in Los Angeles County is on the county’s page.
Los Angeles 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 South El Monte.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.south-el-monte.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 South El Monte compares with the towns next door
South El Monte spent $1,078 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $561 to $947. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
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 South El Monte’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about South El Monte’s government
How much does South El Monte spend per resident?
About $1,078 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 $1,078 was less than 62% of 101 California cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in South El Monte?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,802 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.63% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.south-el-monte.ca.us.
Who runs South El Monte’s government?
See ci.south-el-monte.ca.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for South El Monte yet.
How did South El Monte vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for South El Monte alone. Los Angeles County, where 100% of South El Monte lies, voted Harris 64.8%, Trump 31.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for South El Monte?
35 full-time and 97 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $390,535 (about $4.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents South El Monte in the state legislature?
State Senate District 22 (Susan Rubio) and Assembly District 56 (Lisa Calderon). The Assembly district also covers eight other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in South El Monte?
The next posted meeting is Community Services Commission on Tuesday, November 10, at 6:00 pm, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about South El Monte’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 →