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Sunnyside WA, September 2015Photo: Orange Suede Sofa · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Sunnyside

How is Sunnyside run?

Sunnyside’s city government spent $19.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,141 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2.5 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$19.3M
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,141
In 2022: $1,141, more than 52% of 40 similar cities
Long-term debt
$17.9M
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2022
137
full-time · 84 part-time · March payroll $1.2M · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$1,753
0.73% of home value · WA 0.81%

What stands out about how Sunnyside is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,141 per resident a year, or $3.13 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 25%.

Where the money comes from
Sales taxes 33%Fees & charges 25%From the state 17%Utility sales 10%Property taxes 10%Other taxes & licenses 2%Interest, fines & other 2%From the federal government <1%From other local governments <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $2.3 million; interest on debt $821,000; payments to other governments $96,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $25.2 million.
Compared with similar places

$1,141 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

Sunnyside’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,141 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. Sunnyside spent more than 52% of them.

Middle half of the group, $944–$1,528Median $1,128Sunnyside

Includes sewer and trash ($4.8 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 →

The group
40

Washington cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Sunnyside itself left out).

Over the years

No trend yet

Sunnyside reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,753 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.73% of the home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Washington$4,556
Sunnyside$1,753
$1,753
typical bill a year
0.73%
effective rate
$240,700
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Sunnyside’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 Sunnyside’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Sunnyside →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Sunnyside

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See sunnyside-wa.gov for Sunnyside’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Sunnyside yet.sunnyside-wa.gov ↗
Agendas

Sunnyside’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on sunnyside-wa.gov ↗.

Who works for Sunnyside

One full-time city employee for every 124 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (16,924).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Fire19 + 46 pt
Police42
Administration & buildings19 + 13 pt
Courts, inspections & corrections20 + 3 pt
Parks & libraries5 + 13 pt
Roads & transportation10
Water & other utilities6 + 8 pt
Sewer & trash7 + 1 pt
Other9
137
full-time
84
part-time
$1.2M
payroll for March 2022
$14.1M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$97,300
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
33
sworn police officers
18
full-time firefighters
Estimates.Sunnyside didn’t report its staff figures; these are the Census Bureau’s estimates, so they aren’t compared with other towns.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Sunnyside School District

Sunnyside’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Sunnyside →
$18,307
per pupil · WA $18,444
6,213
students
$24 million
long-term debt

Of the $18,307 per pupil, $9,574 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 5%State 76%Federal 19%

Washington districts overall: 27% local, 66% state, 8% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Sunnyside’s votes are counted by county

Washington reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Sunnyside alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Yakima County’s results.

President · Yakima County’s results88,145 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican55.7%49,104 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat41.3%36,383 votes

Others: 3.0% (2,658 votes).

Most votes in Yakima County: Donald J Trump

Washington: Harris 57.2%, Trump 39.0%

The county’s page

100% of Sunnyside lies in Yakima County. Every 2024 race in Yakima County is on the county’s page.

Yakima County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Sunnyside

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Sunnyside.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    Washington HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Washington SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Washington

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Sunnyside’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Sunnyside’s government

How much does Sunnyside spend per resident?

About $1,141 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,141 was more than 52% of 40 Washington cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Sunnyside?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,753 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.73% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see sunnyside-wa.gov.

Who runs Sunnyside’s government?

See sunnyside-wa.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Sunnyside yet.

How did Sunnyside vote in 2024?

Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Sunnyside alone. Yakima County, where 100% of Sunnyside lies, voted Trump 55.7%, Harris 41.3% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Sunnyside?

137 full-time and 84 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1.2M (about $14.1M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Sunnyside in the state legislature?

State Senate District 14 (Curtis King) and State House District 14 (Deb Manjarrez and Gloria Mendoza). The House district also covers 10 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Sunnyside’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →