Photo: Nyttend · Public domainHow is Westminster run?
Westminster’s city government spent $218.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,909 per resident. Water and other utilities ($19.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Westminster is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Jefferson County School District R-1
Westminster’s K–12 school district, shared with Edgewater, Golden, Lakeside, Lakewood, Morrison and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,276 per pupil, $8,089 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.
Colorado districts overall: 55% local, 37% state, 8% federal.
Adams 12 Five Star Schools · $15,831 per pupil
Westminster Public School District · $18,397 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $1,909 per resident a year, or $5.23 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,480 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Westminster’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,480 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 15 Colorado cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,395, and the middle half spent $1,058–$2,028. Westminster spent more than 53% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($7.3 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 →
Colorado cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Westminster itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 28% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Westminster reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,480 · 2023: $1,575 · 2024: $1,909.
full-time in March 2025, up from 915 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,614 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.49% of the home’s value, vs 0.48% across Colorado.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Westminster’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 Westminster’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Westminster →
Who’s in charge in Westminster
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Westminster’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ci.westminster.co.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 110 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (114,533).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Westminster’s votes are counted by county
Colorado reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Westminster alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Adams County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat53.1%124,056 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican44.1%103,024 votesOthers: 2.7% (6,411 votes).
Most votes in Adams County: Kamala D Harris
Colorado: Harris 54.1%, Trump 43.1%
60% of Westminster lies in Adams County; the rest in Jefferson County. Every 2024 race in Adams County is on the county’s page.
Adams 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 Westminster.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.westminster.co.us ↗
- 2Colorado HouseWestminster is split between 2 districts
- 3Colorado SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Colorado
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Westminster compares with the towns next door
Westminster spent $1,480 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $739 to $2,265. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Northglenn | $739 | $3,152 |
| Federal Heights | $943 | $509 |
| Arvada | $1,098 | $3,223 |
| Thornton | $1,119 | $2,911 |
| Broomfield | $2,265 | $4,007 |
| Westminster | $1,480 | $2,614 |
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 Westminster’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Westminster’s government
How much does Westminster spend per resident?
About $1,909 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,480 was more than 53% of 15 Colorado cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Westminster?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,614 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.49% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across Colorado. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.westminster.co.us.
Who runs Westminster’s government?
See ci.westminster.co.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Westminster yet.
How did Westminster vote in 2024?
Colorado counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Westminster alone. Adams County, where 60% of Westminster lies, voted Harris 53.1%, Trump 44.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Westminster?
1,042 full-time and 433 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $10.8M (about $129.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Westminster in the state legislature?
Westminster is split among 2 State House districts and 3 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Colorado Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Westminster’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 →