Photo: Nsaum75 · CC BY-SA 3.0Galveston spent more per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar cities
Galveston’s city government spent $165.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, about $3,111 per resident. Water and other utilities ($21.5 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Galveston is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Galveston’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov5GeneralThursday · 8:30 am · City Hall - Room 204, 823 Rosenberg StCity Council Special MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov5Park Board of TrusteesThursday · 9:00 am · Park Board Plaza - 601 Tremont StBeach Maintenance Advisory CommitteeAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov5Arts Development CommissionThursday · 1:30 pm · City Hall - Room 100, 823 RosenbergAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov6Comprehensive Plan Steering Ad Hoc CommitteeFriday · 9:00 am · City Hall - Room 204 -, 823 Rosenberg StComprehensive Plan Steering Committee 4 | CANCELEDAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov12City CouncilThursday · 9:00 am · 823 ROSENBERG, ROOM 204City Council WorkshopMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov12City CouncilThursday · 5:00 pm · 823 ROSENBERGCity Council Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Nov4Zoning Board of AdjustmentsWednesday · 3:30 pm · City Hall - Council Chambers, 823 RosenbergZoning Board of Adjustment - CanceledMeeting page ↗
- Nov3Planning CommissionTuesday · 3:30 pm · City Hall - Council Chambers, 823 RosenbergAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov3Employee Retirement Fund for Non-Civil Service EmployeesTuesday · 1:00 pm · City Hall - Room 100 -, 823 Rosenberg StAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov3Galveston Employee's Retirement Fund for PoliceTuesday · 10:00 am · COHN REZNICK LLP, 2200 Market, 4th FloorAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov3Industrial Development CorporationTuesday · 9:00 am · 823 ROSENBERG, ROOM 204Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $3,111 per resident a year, or $8.52 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: parks & libraries, at 34%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$2,142 per resident in 2022: more than 100% of them
Galveston’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,142 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 17 Texas cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,183, and the middle half spent $1,043–$1,361. Galveston spent more than 100% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($19.4 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 →
Texas cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Galveston itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 54% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Galveston 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: $2,142 · 2023: $2,396 · 2024: $3,111. Per resident it went from $2,142 to $3,111 (up 45%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 50,085 to 53,089.
full-time in March 2025, up from 948 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 $3,510 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.08% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Galveston’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 Galveston’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Galveston →
Who’s in charge in Galveston
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 51 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 (53,089).
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.
Galveston Independent School District
Galveston’s K–12 school district, shared with Jamaica Beach. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,797 per pupil, $7,685 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.
Texas districts overall: 51% local, 36% state, 13% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Galveston’s votes are counted by county
Texas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Galveston alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Galveston County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican63.1%100,295 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat35.7%56,732 votesOthers: 1.2% (1,969 votes).
Most votes in Galveston County: Donald J Trump
Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%
100% of Galveston lies in Galveston County. Every 2024 race in Galveston County is on the county’s page.
Galveston 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 Galveston.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: galvestontx.gov ↗
- 2Texas HouseState representatives
- 3Texas SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Texas
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Galveston compares with the towns next door
Galveston spent $2,142 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,234 to $1,401. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Tiki Island | $1,234 | $10,000+ |
| Texas City | $1,401 | $2,734 |
| Galveston | $2,142 | $3,510 |
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 Galveston’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Galveston’s government
How much does Galveston spend per resident?
About $3,111 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $2,142 was more than 100% of 17 Texas cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Galveston?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,510 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.08% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see galvestontx.gov.
Who runs Galveston’s government?
See galvestontx.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Galveston yet.
How did Galveston vote in 2024?
Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Galveston alone. Galveston County, where 100% of Galveston lies, voted Trump 63.1%, Harris 35.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Galveston?
1,037 full-time and 58 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $7.0M (about $84.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Galveston in the state legislature?
State Senate District 11 (Mayes Middleton) and State House District 23 (Terri Leo-Wilson). The House district also covers 11 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Galveston?
The next posted meeting is General on Thursday, November 5, at 8:30 am in City Hall - Room 204, 823 Rosenberg St, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Galveston’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 →