How is Bonney Lake run?
Bonney Lake’s city government spent $28.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,245 per resident. Water and other utilities ($7.9 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Bonney Lake is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Bonney Lake’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov9Civil Service CommissionMonday · 3:30 pm · 9002 Main St. E.CANCELLED Civil Service Commission MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10Public Safety CommitteeTuesday · 3:45 pm · 9002 Main St ENovember 10, 2026 Public Safety Committee MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10Finance CommitteeTuesday · 5:00 pm · 9002 Main St ENovember 10, 2026 Finance Committee MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pm · 9002 Main St ENovember 10, 2026 City Council MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov17City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pm · 9002 Main St ENovember 17, 2026 City Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Dec1Community Development CommitteeTuesday · 4:30 pm · 9002 Main St EDecember 01, 2026 Community Development Committee MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Nov4Planning CommissionWednesday · 6:00 pm · Public Services Building, 21719 96th St ENovember 4, 2026 Planning Commission MeetingAgenda ↗Minutes ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov3City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pm · 9002 Main St ENovember 03, 2026 City Council Meeting AgendaAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov3Community Development CommitteeTuesday · 4:30 pm · 9002 Main St ENovember 03, 2026 Community Development Committee MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct20City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pm · 9002 Main ST EOctober 20, 2026 City Council MeetingAgenda ↗Minutes ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct14Arts CommissionWednesday · 6:00 pm · 9002 Main Street EOne Time EventAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $1,245 per resident a year, or $3.41 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,066 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Bonney Lake’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,066 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 40 Washington cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,136, and the middle half spent $944–$1,528. Bonney Lake spent less than 58% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($7.7 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 →
Washington cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bonney Lake itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 18% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Bonney Lake 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: $1,066 · 2024: $1,245.
full-time in March 2025, down from 153 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 $5,436 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.89% of the home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Bonney Lake’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 Bonney Lake’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bonney Lake →
Who’s in charge in Bonney Lake
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 153 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 (22,885).
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.
Sumner School District
Bonney Lake’s K–12 school district, shared with Sumner. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,190 per pupil, $9,571 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.
Washington districts overall: 27% local, 66% state, 8% federal.
White River School District · $15,052 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Bonney Lake’s votes are counted by county
Washington reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bonney Lake alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Pierce County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat53.5%235,151 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican42.8%188,148 votesOthers: 3.7% (16,216 votes).
Most votes in Pierce County: Kamala D Harris
Washington: Harris 57.2%, Trump 39.0%
100% of Bonney Lake lies in Pierce County. Every 2024 race in Pierce County is on the county’s page.
Pierce 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 Bonney Lake.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.bonney-lake.wa.us ↗
- 2Washington HouseState representatives
- 3Washington SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Washington
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Bonney Lake compares with the towns next door
Bonney Lake spent $1,066 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $1,880. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Sumner | $1,880 | $5,213 |
| Bonney Lake | $1,066 | $5,436 |
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 Bonney Lake’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bonney Lake’s government
How much does Bonney Lake spend per resident?
About $1,245 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 $1,066 was less than 58% of 40 Washington cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bonney Lake?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,436 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.89% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.bonney-lake.wa.us.
Who runs Bonney Lake’s government?
See ci.bonney-lake.wa.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bonney Lake yet.
How did Bonney Lake vote in 2024?
Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bonney Lake alone. Pierce County, where 100% of Bonney Lake lies, voted Harris 53.5%, Trump 42.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Bonney Lake?
150 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.3M (about $15.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bonney Lake in the state legislature?
State Senate District 31 (Phil Fortunato) and State House District 31 (Drew Stokesbary and Josh Penner). The House district also covers 10 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Bonney Lake?
The next posted meeting is Civil Service Commission on Monday, November 9, at 3:30 pm in 9002 Main St. E., from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Bonney Lake’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 →