Photo: Dllu · CC BY-SA 4.0Mercer Island spent more per resident in 2022 than 89% of similar cities
Mercer Island’s city government spent $50 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $1,964 per resident. Water and other utilities ($6.7 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Mercer Island is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Mercer Island’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov17City CouncilTuesday · 5:00 pm · 8236 SE 24th StCity Council Regular Hybrid MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov25Planning CommissionWednesday · 6:00 pm · 8236 SE 24th StPlanning Commission Regular Hybrid MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Dec1City CouncilTuesday · 5:00 pm · 8236 SE 24th StCity Council Regular Hybrid MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Dec3Parks & Recreation CommissionThursday · 5:00 pm · 8236 SE 24th StParks & Recreation Commission Regular Hybrid MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Dec7Parks & Recreation CommissionMonday · 5:00 pm · 8236 SE 24th StParks & Rec Commission, Open Space Conservancy Trust and Arts Council Special Joint Hybrid MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Dec7Open Space Conservancy TrustMonday · 5:00 pm · 8236 SE 24th St, 8236 SE 24th StOpen Space Conservancy Trust, Parks & Rec Commission, and Arts Council Special Joint Hybrid MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Nov10Utility BoardTuesday · 5:00 pm · 8236 SE 24th StUtility Board Regular Hybrid MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov5Parks & Recreation CommissionThursday · 5:00 pm · 8236 SE 24th StParks & Recreation Commission Regular Hybrid MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov3City CouncilTuesday · 5:00 pm · 8236 SE 24th StCity Council Regular Hybrid MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct29Open Space Conservancy TrustThursday · 5:00 pmOpen Space Conservancy Trust Board and Parks & Recreation Commission Special Joint Hybrid MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct29Parks & Recreation CommissionThursday · 5:00 pmParks & Recreation Commission and Open Space Conservancy Trust Board Special Joint Hybrid MeetingAgenda ↗Minutes ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $1,964 per resident a year, or $5.38 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 21%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,683 per resident in 2022: more than 89% of them
Mercer Island’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,683 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 18 Washington cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,353, and the middle half spent $986–$1,578. Mercer Island spent more than 89% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($9.5 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 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Mercer Island itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 15% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Mercer Island 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: $1,683 · 2023: $1,964.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
Typical bills top $10,000 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Mercer Island’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 Mercer Island’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Mercer Island →
Who’s in charge in Mercer Island
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 128 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (25,442).
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.
Mercer Island School District
Mercer Island’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,351 per pupil, $10,856 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.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Mercer Island’s votes are counted by county
Washington reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Mercer Island alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are King County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat73.6%832,606 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican22.3%252,193 votesOthers: 4.0% (45,703 votes).
Most votes in King County: Kamala D Harris
Washington: Harris 57.2%, Trump 39.0%
100% of Mercer Island lies in King County. Every 2024 race in King County is on the county’s page.
King 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 Mercer Island.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: mercerisland.gov ↗
- 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 Mercer Island compares with the towns next door
Mercer Island spent $1,683 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $978 to $3,122. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Beaux Arts Village | $978 | $10,000+ |
| Renton | $1,708 | $5,969 |
| Medina | $2,063 | $10,000+ |
| Bellevue | $2,081 | $9,423 |
| Seattle | $3,122 | $7,337 |
| Mercer Island | $1,683 | $10,000+ |
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 Mercer Island’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Mercer Island’s government
How much does Mercer Island spend per resident?
About $1,964 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,683 was more than 89% of 18 Washington cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Mercer Island’s government?
See mercerisland.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Mercer Island yet.
How did Mercer Island vote in 2024?
Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Mercer Island alone. King County, where 100% of Mercer Island lies, voted Harris 73.6%, Trump 22.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Mercer Island?
199 full-time and 16 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1.9M (about $22.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Mercer Island in the state legislature?
State Senate District 41 (Lisa Wellman) and State House District 41 (Janice Zahn and My-Linh Thai). The House district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Mercer Island?
The next posted meeting is City Council on Tuesday, November 17, at 5:00 pm in 8236 SE 24th St, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Mercer Island’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 →