Butte County

What Butte County does

Butte County is a county government and political subdivision of the State of California, established in 1850 and headquartered at 25 County Center Drive in Oroville, serving residents across the Sacramento Valley region of Northern California. The county is governed by an elected five-member Board of Supervisors and operates through departments including Water and Resource Conservation, Behavioral Health, Agriculture, Treasurer-Tax Collector, Sheriff-Coroner, Environmental Health, and Public Health. It delivers a portfolio of public services spanning property tax collection, emergency notification, behavioral health, groundwater sustainability, agricultural pest exclusion, and water infrastructure programs to unincorporated communities and the incorporated cities of Chico, Oroville, Paradise, Biggs, and Gridley.

The county's technology infrastructure is built on the CivicPlus government website platform with online payment processing systems, GIS-based district mapping, and the proprietary Alert FM emergency notification system that delivers alerts via FM radio signals without requiring electricity or cellular service. Its service portfolio includes an Online Property Tax Payment System with e-check and card-based options, a monthly installment plan through Easy Smart Pay partnership, Alert FM receivers distributed to seventeen rural communities, outpatient behavioral health facilities (Chico Stepping Stones and Chico Community Counseling Center), and a multi-phase Palermo Clean Water Consolidation Project targeting up to 380 parcels. The Department of Water and Resource Conservation, established in 1999, coordinates groundwater sustainability planning across eleven Groundwater Sustainability Agencies in the Butte, Vina, and Wyandotte Creek Subbasins under California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.

Butte County's business model is government-funded rather than commercial: revenue derives from bi-annual property tax collections, California state allocations, federal grants, local sales taxes, and transient occupancy taxes, supplemented by nominal transaction fees on electronic tax payments. Distribution occurs through physical county offices, the official buttecounty.net portal, social media channels (Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram), community meetings, and email newsletters. Customer segments include all county residents, rural water users facing dry wells or contamination, behavioral health clients, and agricultural operations subject to county pest and water well oversight.

Name

Butte County

Legal name

Butte County

Website

https://buttecounty.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1850

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Butte County is a Northern California county government, established in 1850 and headquartered in Oroville, delivering property tax collection, emergency notifications, behavioral health services, groundwater sustainability management, and agricultural oversight to residents across unincorporated communities and five incorporated cities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

County Government Services

NAICS

Administration of Public Health Programs (923120), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251)

akta.pro primary industry

State Legislature/Regional Assembly Administration (BPAIABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

State/Provincial Taxation & Revenue Administration (BPAIABAD), Public Works Departments (Streets, Bridges, Stormwater, Fleet, Maintenance) (BPAIALAD), County/District/Local Health Departments (HLAJAAAB), Environmental Protection Agencies & Environmental Health Departments (HLAJAFAA), Forestry & Public Lands Administration (State/National Forests) (BPAIAMAF)

Keywords

• County government services
• Property tax collection
• Behavioral health services
• Water resource management
• Emergency notification systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Oroville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Tax Collection: Butte County collects bi-annual property taxes through the Treasurer-Tax Collector. Property owners can pay via e-check (free), credit card (2.30% fee), or debit card ($3.49 transaction fee). A new monthly payment option is available through Easy Smart Pay partnership.
2. County Services Funding: General government services funded through California state allocations, federal grants, and local tax revenues including property taxes, sales taxes, and transient occupancy taxes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Butte County is a county government entity in Northern California that delivers public administration and statutory services to its residents and property owners. Its core operations encompass property tax billing and collection, recording and clerk services, behavioral health programs, water and resource conservation, emergency public notification (ALERT FM), and general county administrative functions through its various departments.

Product overview

Butte County operates as a county government providing a diverse portfolio of public services through its official website and department programs. The primary digital services include an Online Property Tax Payment System with e-check and credit card options, and a monthly payment plan partnership with Easy Smart Pay. The county operates an Alert FM emergency notification system providing FM radio-based alerts to rural communities. The Department of Behavioral Health offers outpatient substance use treatment and mental health services through Chico Stepping Stones and Chico Community Counseling Center. The Water and Resource Conservation department manages multiple water infrastructure projects including the Palermo Clean Water Consolidation Project, Palermo Dry Well Consolidation Project, and Palermo Drainage Cleanup Pilot Project. Additional services include the Groundwater Recharge Action Plan, Draft Drought Resilience Plan, and Rural Water Safety Project for well and septic ordinance updates. The portfolio consists of individual service programs rather than a unified platform product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Property Tax Payment Services

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wyandotte Creek GSAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 November 2025Wyandotte Creek GSA is leading the Palermo Drainage Cleanup Pilot Project in coordination with Butte County. The GSA is the project lead for the drainage improvement initiative funded by California DWR SGMA Grant Program, with Butte County Public Works and Water & Resource Conservation as coordination partners.
• South Feather Water and Power Agency (SFWPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerButte County and SFWPA are working together through a Memorandum of Understanding to address water supply and quality issues in Palermo. The partnership focuses on expanding access to a reliable water system that meets Safe Drinking Water Act standards, with SFWPA providing treated water service to connected homes.
• Butte Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEleven GSAs in the Butte Subbasin cooperatively developed a single Groundwater Sustainability Plan submitted to DWR in January 2022. GSAs include Biggs West Gridley Water District, Butte County, Butte Water District, City of Biggs, City of Gridley, Colusa Groundwater Authority, Glenn County, and several irrigation districts.
• Vina Groundwater Sustainability AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVina GSA adopted the Vina Groundwater Sustainability Plan at a Joint Meeting on December 15, 2021. The GSA, along with Rock Creek Reclamation District GSA, manages groundwater sustainability in the Vina Subbasin portion of Butte County.
• Northern Sacramento Valley Inter-Basin Coordination PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional coordination among GSAs across the Northern Sacramento Valley including Antelope, Butte, Colusa, Corning, Los Molinos, Red Bluff, and Vina Subbasins. Facilitated by Tania Carlone and Mariana Rivera-Torres of the Consensus Building Institute (CBI) with participation from Tehama, Glenn, Colusa, and Butte Counties.
• California Department of Water Resources (DWR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDWR provides oversight of groundwater sustainability under SGMA, administers grant programs (SGM Grant Program, Urban and Multi-Benefit Drought Relief Program), and maintains the SGMA Portal for GSP submissions and tracking.
• California Department of Health Care ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency providing grant funds (2022 State grant funds) to Butte County Department of Behavioral Health for expansion of Chico Stepping Stones and Chico Community Counseling Center facilities.
• Easy Smart Pay (ESP)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorButte County partnered with Easy Smart Pay to allow taxpayers to split their bi-annual property tax bill into manageable monthly payments. ESP is a privately owned payment processing service that works with the County Treasurer-Tax Collector's office.
• Consensus Building Institute (CBI)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFacilitators Tania Carlone and Mariana Rivera-Torres from CBI support inter-basin coordination efforts among Northern Sacramento Valley GSAs, helping facilitate discussions and analyses.
• Montgomery & AssociatesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsulting firm that conducted the Joint Evaluation of Groundwater Sustainability Plans for the Northern Sacramento Valley, presenting results in a three-part webinar series.
• Davids EngineeringminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEngineering firm assisting Butte County with Water Inventory and Analysis updates, groundwater modeling, and drought impact analysis.
• California State Water Resources Control BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency administering funding (Clean Water State Revolving Fund) for Palermo Clean Water Consolidation Project expansion and overseeing OWTS Policy Renewal alignment.
• Northern Sacramento Valley Regional Water Management GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-county partnership including Shasta, Tehama, Glenn, Colusa, Sutter, and Butte Counties developing and implementing the Northern Sacramento Valley Integrated Regional Water Management Plan.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Yolo County: Sacramento Valley county government of similar size and rural-urban mix to Butte County; comparable portfolio of property tax, behavioral health, agricultural oversight, and groundwater management under SGMA.
• Sutter County: Adjacent Northern California county also subject to SGMA, with overlapping GSA participation in the Northern Sacramento Valley and similar agricultural and water resource management functions.
• Nevada County: Sierra-region county with comparable rural unincorporated communities, fire-risk profile, and dependence on state grants for behavioral health and emergency management services.
• Glenn County: Regional peer participating in the Northern Sacramento Valley Inter-Basin Coordination and overlapping Butte Subbasin GSA discussions; comparable rural service portfolio.
• Placer County: California county with similar property tax, emergency notification, behavioral health, and public works structures; provides a benchmark for service delivery in a larger population base.
• Colusa County: Rural Sacramento Valley county partner in the Northern Sacramento Valley Integrated Regional Water Management Plan; directly comparable in agricultural economy and groundwater sustainability scope.
• Shasta County: Northern California county partner in the Northern Sacramento Valley Integrated Regional Water Management Plan; comparable scale of water, behavioral health, and emergency response operations.
• Tehama County: Northern Sacramento Valley county coordinating with Butte on inter-basin groundwater management; similar mix of unincorporated rural communities and agricultural oversight responsibilities.

Others

• CivicPlus: Vendor that powers Butte County's government website platform and online services; an ecosystem enabler rather than a direct government peer, but a relevant comparable for digital service delivery in the county government space.
• South Feather Water and Power Agency: Strategic partner on the Palermo Clean Water Consolidation Project; a regional water utility serving as both collaborator and adjacent infrastructure operator in Butte County.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CountyofButte
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CountyofButte
• Facebookfacebook.com/ButteCounty
• Instagraminstagram.com/CountyofButte
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/butte-county

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Butte County