wherethemoneywent.com / us / ca / lafayette / sources · Independent. Not affiliated with the City of Lafayette. Figures from city documents through June 2026.
Each figure on this site traces to one of these 6 documents. City documents are primary; news reports are used for context and are labeled as such. Documents from other governments, such as the school district, explain what the City's budget doesn't cover. They are labeled too.
What this budget covers
Not in this budget
Fire. Fire service comes from the Contra Costa Consolidated Fire District, a separate district with its own budget, so none of its cost is in the City's budget.
Library. The City contracts with Contra Costa County for its library. The City's own library costs are in a separate Library Operations fund, outside the General Fund, so they aren't in these squares.
Is this everything the City of Lafayette spends?
No. These pages show the City's General Fund, its main account for day-to-day services: in FY 2026-27. The City also keeps separate funds, for capital projects, recreation programs, the library, school buses and more, and those aren't in the squares on these pages.
Where are the schools?
Public schools in Lafayette are run by separate governments. The Lafayette School District runs four elementary schools and a middle school, and the high school is in the Acalanes district, which also serves Canyon, Moraga, Orinda and parts of Walnut Creek.
The City isn't financially responsible for them, so school spending isn't in the City's numbers.
What else isn't here?
The City's financial report lists services in Lafayette that separate agencies provide. Each has its own budget, so none of their spending is on these pages.
Contra Costa County. The county government. The City contracts with it for police, library, animal and building services.
Contra Costa Consolidated Fire District. Fire service.
East Bay Municipal Utility District. Water.
Central Contra Costa Sanitary District. Sewer.
Where does my property tax go?
The basic 1% property tax is pooled by the county and divided under state law among the county, cities, schools and special districts.
The City says it receives about 6.6% of the property taxes its residents pay, against an average of 10.5% for other cities in Contra Costa County. It didn't levy a property tax before Proposition 13 passed in 1978, so the state's formula gives it a low share.
The in property tax on these pages is only the City's share.
Does the City pay for the schools?
The City runs a school bus program from its own fund, outside the General Fund, and it took over the crossing guard program after the school district stopped funding it.
We haven't checked every line of the City's full budget, so small City grants or contracts with the districts can't be ruled out.
All sources
#DocumentUsed on
S1FY 2026-27 Budget & WorkplanCity of Lafayette · June 22, 2026 · General Fund programs, revenue, reserve standard, positions, five-year forecast, capital program · pp. 10, 11, 16, 17, 21, 23, 25, 26, 32, 37, 53, 76, 77Used on: Overview · Capital · Departments · Glossary · Balance & Reserves · Revenue · Methods↗
S2FY 2025-26 Final Municipal Budget: staff reportCity of Lafayette · January 26, 2026 · Why the City is drawing on its reserves · p. 1Used on: Overview · Balance & Reserves↗
S3Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, year ended June 30, 2025City of Lafayette · December 2025 · Services by contract and by other agencies, Sheriff's deputies, retirement plan, retiree health liability · pp. 10, 12, 14, 35, 43, 49, 87, 179Used on: Overview · Departments · Glossary · Methods↗
S4City Council minutes, June 22, 2026City of Lafayette · June 22, 2026 · The Council's adoption of the FY 2026-27 budget · p. 14Used on: Not cited on a page yet↗
S5Another government's document, not the City'sThe 1 Percent Tax: Where Does Your Money Go?Legislative Analyst's Office (California) · How the county divides the basic 1% property tax · p. 1Used on: Methods↗
S6Another government's document, not the City'sUnderstanding California's Property TaxesLegislative Analyst's Office (California) · November 29, 2012 · Glossary: special district · p. 18Used on: Glossary↗
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Everything on these pages, as published. Each row keeps its receipt: source, page and the line it was read from.