How Do Cities Work?

Cities provide a range of direct services including police, fire, water, sewer, library, recreation, public works, senior citizen services, building, code enforcement, zoning/land use, disaster planning and economic development.

In Calistoga we tailor city services to meet the needs of residents, businesses, and visitors. For example, the Public Works Department maintains and enhances the city’s infrastructure. Roads, traffic signals, street signs, the water and sewer systems, parkway trees, equipment and facilities all have Master Plans in place to ensure that they remain functional and consistent with the needs of the community. Conservative spending and the use of strategic planning enables Calistoga to remain financially stable even in times of economic difficulty.

Funding for city services comes from a variety of sources:

• Local taxes, including property tax and sales tax, which are shared with the State and County government
• Other local taxes such as business license, hotel tax and utility user’s tax
• State taxes such as the tax on gasoline which is passed through to local government
• User fees for services such as those charged for development, water, sewer, and recreation programs