Photo: Orange Suede Sofa · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Port Orchard run?
Port Orchard’s city government spent $25.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,479 per resident. Water and other utilities ($3.2 million) are counted separately.
Economic Development/Tourism Committee
9:30 am · Meeting is being held via Zoom; link to meeting is on the Agenda
All meetings →What stands out about how Port Orchard is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Port Orchard’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov9Economic Development/Tourism CommitteeMonday · 9:30 am · Meeting is being held via Zoom; link to meeting is on the AgendaEconomic Development/Tourism Committee Meeting, CANCELLEDMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10Utility CommitteeTuesday · 4:30 pm · Meeting is being held via Zoom; link to meeting is on the AgendaUtility Committee MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10City Council - RMTuesday · 6:30 pm · City Hall, Council Chambers, 216 Prospect StreetCity Council Regular Meeting - November 10, 2026Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov17Finance CommitteeTuesday · 4:30 pm · Meeting is being held via Zoom; link to meeting is on the AgendaFinance Committee MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov17Finance CommitteeTuesday · 4:30 pm · Meeting is being held via Zoom; link to meeting is on the AgendaFinance Committee MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov17City Council - WSSTuesday · 6:30 pm · City Hall, Council Chambers, 216 Prospect StreetCity Council Work Study SessionMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Nov5Utility CommitteeThursday · 6:00 pmSewer (SAC)Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov3Planning CommissionTuesday · 6:00 pm · City Hall, Council Chambers, 216 Prospect StreetPlanning Commission MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct27City Council - RMTuesday · 6:30 pm · City Hall, Council Chambers, 216 Prospect StreetCity Council Regular MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct27Transportation CommitteeTuesday · 4:30 pm · Meeting is being held via Zoom; link to meeting is on the AgendaTransportation Committee Meeting, CANCELLEDMeeting page ↗
- Oct23GeneralFriday · 2:00 pm · City Hall, Council Chambers, 216 Prospect StreetOctober 23, 2026, Lodging Tax Advisory Committee MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $1,479 per resident a year, or $4.05 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 24%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,256 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Port Orchard’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,256 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 $1,128, and the middle half spent $944–$1,528. Port Orchard spent more than 62% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($6 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; Port Orchard itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 37% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Port Orchard 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: $1,256 · 2023: $1,514 · 2024: $1,479. Per resident it went from $1,256 to $1,479 (up 18%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 14,718 to 17,089.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,992 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.74% 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 Port Orchard’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 Port Orchard’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Port Orchard →
Who’s in charge in Port Orchard
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 196 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (17,089).
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.
South Kitsap School District
Port Orchard’s K–12 school district, shared with Bremerton. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,593 per pupil, $10,390 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.
Port Orchard’s votes are counted by county
Washington reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Port Orchard alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Kitsap County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat58.5%91,268 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican37.6%58,725 votesOthers: 3.9% (6,036 votes).
Most votes in Kitsap County: Kamala D Harris
Washington: Harris 57.2%, Trump 39.0%
100% of Port Orchard lies in Kitsap County. Every 2024 race in Kitsap County is on the county’s page.
Kitsap 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 Port Orchard.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: portorchardwa.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 Port Orchard compares with the towns next door
Port Orchard spent $1,256 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $1,581. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Bremerton | $1,581 | $3,268 |
| Port Orchard | $1,256 | $3,992 |
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 Port Orchard’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Port Orchard’s government
How much does Port Orchard spend per resident?
About $1,479 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 $1,256 was more than 62% of 40 Washington cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Port Orchard?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,992 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.74% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see portorchardwa.gov.
Who runs Port Orchard’s government?
See portorchardwa.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Port Orchard yet.
How did Port Orchard vote in 2024?
Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Port Orchard alone. Kitsap County, where 100% of Port Orchard lies, voted Harris 58.5%, Trump 37.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Port Orchard?
87 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $684,160 (about $8.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Port Orchard in the state legislature?
State Senate District 26 (Deb Krishnadasan) and State House District 26 (Adison Richards and Michelle Valdez). The House district also covers two neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Port Orchard?
The next posted meeting is Economic Development/Tourism Committee on Monday, November 9, at 9:30 am in Meeting is being held via Zoom; link to meeting is on the Agenda, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Port Orchard’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 →