Washington County's General Fund provides revenue for a very broad range of the services that local government provides to the county's residents. For the most part, with the exception of schools, the Highway and Solid Waste departments, and payments on the county's debt, other expenditures are classified under the General Fund. Property tax revenues account for the majority of General Fund revenues annually.

The table below shows Washington County's total property tax levy, and total property tax revenues (including delinquent collections) for the past 10 fiscal years, and the percentage increase from the previous year:

Of the $1.91 property tax (per $100 of assessed value), nearly 64 cents goes to the general fund — or almost exactly one-third of the county's property tax revenues. In the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2010, property tax revenues for the General Fund (including delinquent revenues) totaled $15.7 million, or just more than half of total the General Fund revenues, which were $30.2 million.

A wide variety of other sources round out Washington County's non-school budget, from local fees and other taxes collected, to a small portion of sales taxes, federal tax share and appropriations and grants. Some of these sources go to the general fund but into specific areas such as the law enforcement. Others go to special funds, such as the state gasoline tax that applies specifically to the Highway Fund. 

Whether it's libraries or law enforcement, property assessment or elections, general administration or a whole lot in between — the General Fund has it covered.

The General Fund's expenditures (and percentage change) from fiscal 2006 through fiscal 2010 are reflected in the table below: