Question: How do cities collect money?

Sources: Sources may include explanatory text; infographic (where the money comes from)

Task: Sort and categorize ways cities collect money.

Vocabulary: taxes, user fees, revenue, operating, budget, expenditure, laws, government, ordinance, percentage

EXPLANATION: Purpose is to teach students about paying for local government services. Revenues to operate local government come mostly from taxes, user fees, and other governments (federal and state). Property taxes are collections based on the value of property (mostly land, houses, and vehicles) owned by citizens. User fees are charges for services provided by a local government (water, sewer, bus services, public pools, etc.). Local councils and commissions decide how much money they will collect from other sources. Councils and commissions set the tax rate and change user fees when necessary to add up to the total needed.