A study of the cost of government was recently published by the City of Fairborn. The total cost of government included real estate taxes, income taxes, school district taxes, plus water and sewer services. The study compared the cost of government in 24 cities and villages in both Montgomery and Greene Counties. Each place was ranked from highest to lowest according to total costs.
The study used current tax rates as well as the water and sewer costs from a 2007 Water & Sewer Rate Survey prepared by Oakwood. Comparisons were based on a home valued at $144,896 for real estate taxes and $57,959 Earned Income for city income taxes. School District Taxable Income was
based on $53,609 with one personal, one spouse, and one dependent exemption.
The chart below represents only the study findings for places in Greene County. The cost of government is highest in Yellow Springs, which was ranked fourth in the Dayton region Total cost of government is $5,078.53. The reason Yellow Springs is significantly higher than other places in Greene County is the combination of high taxes in all categories plus the cost of water and sewer services. The cities ranked higher than Yellow Springs are Kettering (3rd), Oakwood (2nd), and Trotwood (1st). The total cost of government is respectively $5,081.63, $5,646.12, and $5,681.77. Cedarville is ranked eighteenth with government costs totaling $4,295.80. Brookville (19th) is only $1.56 less than Cedarville. Government costs in Xenia are the 24th lowest in the region at $4,155.49. The reasons are lower property taxes and school district income taxes. Lower than Xenia is Miamisburg with total costs of government being $4,015.28. Fairborn is ranked at twenty-second with the cost of government at $3,963.97. The big surprise are the two lowest ranking cities in the study. Bellbrook is ranked 23rd with total costs of government at $3,961.42 or $2.55 less than Fairborn. Beavercreek has the lowest cost of government in the Greene County and the Dayton area. Government taxes and services total $3,833.76. How can the cost of government be lower in Beavercreek than any other place? The primary factors are no city or school district income taxes.
| Rank | Place (population) | Real Estate Taxes | City Income Taxes | School District Income Taxes | Annual Water & Sewer Rates | Total |
| 4 | Yellow Springs (3,761) | 2,713.05 | 869.39 | 536.09 | 960.00 | $5,078.53 |
| 18 | Cedarville (3,828) | 2,176.12 | 579.59 | 536.09 | 1,004.00 | $4,295.80 |
| 20 | Xenia (24,164) |
2,251.56 | 1,014.28 | 268.05 | 621.60 | $4,155.49 |
| 22 | Fairborn (32,052) | 2,196.53 | 869.39 | 268.05 | 630.00 | $3,963.97 |
| 23 | Bellbrook (7,009) | 3,055.18 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 906.24 | $3,961.42 |
| 24 | Beavercreek (37,984) | 2,829.76 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1004.00 | $3,833.76 |
2008 Annual Local Government Costs prepared by the City of Fairborn April 2008.