The Nation - News from March 2, 1987

Cities averaged $85.71 annually per resident for police protection, the largest continuing item in city government spending, according to a Census Bureau study. The study said city governments averaged $781.34 in general revenue and spent $720.13 per resident in the 1984-85 fiscal year, the most recent period for which detailed figures were available. Of the income, $537.06 came from the city’s sources, such as taxes and fees. The balance came from state and federal government assistance. Revenues taken in by the nation’s cities in 1984-85 totaled $147.8 billion, up 9.9% from the year before. Spending was $140 billion, up 8.8%. Besides police, major budget items included education, $77.93 per resident; general administration, $77.20, and highways, $59.36.