Photo: Jeremy Weate · CC BY 2.0How is Willits run?
Willits’ city government spent $7.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,473 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2.2 million) and the airport ($151,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Willits is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,473 per resident a year, or $4.04 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,473 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Willits’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,473 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 $1,561, and the middle half spent $1,070–$2,489. Willits spent more than 50% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.9 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; Willits itself left out).
No trend yet
Willits reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,827 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.76% 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 Willits’ 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 Willits’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Willits →
Who’s in charge in Willits
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Willits’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on thecityofwillits.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 110 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 (4,831).
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.
Willits Unified School District
Willits’ K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,926 per pupil, $10,984 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.
Willits’ votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Willits alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Mendocino County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat61.4%23,830 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican34.4%13,367 votesOthers: 4.2% (1,618 votes).
Most votes in Mendocino County: Kamala D Harris
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Willits lies in Mendocino County. Every 2024 race in Mendocino County is on the county’s page.
Mendocino 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 Willits.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: thecityofwillits.com ↗
- 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 Willits compares with the towns next door
Willits spent $1,473 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Willits | $1,473 | $2,827 |
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 Willits’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Willits’ government
How much does Willits spend per resident?
About $1,473 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 $1,473 was more than 50% of 76 California cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Willits?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,827 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.76% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see thecityofwillits.com.
Who runs Willits’ government?
See thecityofwillits.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Willits yet.
How did Willits vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Willits alone. Mendocino County, where 100% of Willits lies, voted Harris 61.4%, Trump 34.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Willits?
44 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $329,236 (about $4.0M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Willits in the state legislature?
State Senate District 2 (Mike McGuire) and Assembly District 2 (Chris Rogers). The Assembly district also covers 16 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Willits’ 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 →