Photo: Frank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 4.0How is Williams run?
Williams’ city government spent $7.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,339 per resident. Water and other utilities ($731,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Williams is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,339 per resident a year, or $3.67 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,339 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Williams’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,339 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. Williams spent less than 60% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.8 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; Williams itself left out).
No trend yet
Williams reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,544 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.69% 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 Williams’ 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 Williams’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Williams →
Who’s in charge in Williams
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Williams’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofwilliams.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 138 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 (5,400).
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.
Williams Unified School District
Williams’ K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,946 per pupil, $9,314 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.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Williams’ votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Williams alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Colusa County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican62.9%4,414 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat34.6%2,431 votesOthers: 2.5% (176 votes).
Most votes in Colusa County: Donald J Trump
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Williams lies in Colusa County. Every 2024 race in Colusa County is on the county’s page.
Colusa 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 Williams.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofwilliams.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.
Reach Williams’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Williams’ government
How much does Williams spend per resident?
About $1,339 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 $1,339 was less than 60% of 76 California cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Williams?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,544 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.69% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofwilliams.org.
Who runs Williams’ government?
See cityofwilliams.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Williams yet.
How did Williams vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Williams alone. Colusa County, where 100% of Williams lies, voted Trump 62.9%, Harris 34.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Williams?
39 full-time and 6 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $174,120 (about $2.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Williams in the state legislature?
State Senate District 1 (Megan Dahle) and Assembly District 4 (Cecilia Aguiar-Curry). The Assembly district also covers 13 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Williams’ 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 →