Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0How is Taft run?
Taft’s city government spent $12.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,469 per resident. Water and other utilities ($685,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Taft is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,469 per resident a year, or $4.02 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,469 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Taft’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,469 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 76 California cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,562, and the middle half spent $1,070–$2,489. Taft spent less than 53% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Taft itself left out).
No trend yet
Taft reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,244 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.89% 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 Taft’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 Taft’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Taft →
Who’s in charge in Taft
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Taft’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityoftaft.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 59 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (8,488).
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.
Taft City School District
Taft’s elementary school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,005 per pupil, $9,418 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.
Taft Union High School District · $24,903 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Taft’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Taft alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Kern County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican59.2%167,414 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat38.2%108,047 votesOthers: 2.5% (7,118 votes).
Most votes in Kern County: Donald J Trump
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Taft lies in Kern County. Every 2024 race in Kern County is on the county’s page.
Kern 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 Taft.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityoftaft.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 Taft compares with the towns next door
Taft spent $1,469 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Taft | $1,469 | $2,244 |
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 Taft’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Taft’s government
How much does Taft spend per resident?
About $1,469 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 $1,469 was less than 53% of 76 California cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Taft?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,244 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.89% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityoftaft.org.
Who runs Taft’s government?
See cityoftaft.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Taft yet.
How did Taft vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Taft alone. Kern County, where 100% of Taft lies, voted Trump 59.2%, Harris 38.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Taft?
145 full-time and 6 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $804,435 (about $9.7M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Taft in the state legislature?
State Senate District 12 (Shannon Grove) and Assembly District 32 (Stan Ellis). The Assembly district also covers six other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Taft’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 →