Knox City Ele.

What Knox City Ele. does

The City of Knox is the incorporated municipal government and county seat of Starke County, Indiana, founded in 1851 and named after General Henry Knox. It serves a resident population of 3,721 (per the 2000 census) and a small base of local businesses operating within its corporate boundaries. The city delivers a standard portfolio of municipal services through dedicated departments: Fire, Police, Parks & Recreation, Street, Water, Wastewater, and Planning/Zoning/Code Compliance, plus a City Court, a Mayor's Office, a Clerk-Treasurer's Office, a Common Council, and several boards and commissions (Redevelopment Commission, Board of Works, Park Board, Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals). Facilities include the Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center, park shelters, and the Wythogan Park Performance Stage, which anchor a public events calendar.

The city's "products" are essentially public services rather than commercial offerings, and its underlying technology stack is conventional municipal SaaS: utility billing is processed through InvoiceCloud, ticket/fine payments through Pay.gov, the code of ordinances is hosted on MuniCode, and council meetings are live-streamed via a YouTube channel (@CityofKnoxIN). Resident services are accessed through City Hall (101 West Washington Street), an online portal, telephone during business hours (8 a.m. – 4 p.m.), and a physical drop-box.

The city's revenue mechanics are the standard municipal-funding triad: (1) property and local taxes, (2) recurring water and wastewater utility billings to residents and businesses, and (3) licensing and permit fees (including $5.00 annual dog tags, yard-sale permits, and building permits). Sanitation service revenue flows through a contract with Republic Services, LLC (effective August 1, 2021), which performs residential trash and recycling collection. No revenue, budget, or appropriation figures are publicly disclosed on the city's website or in the available material. Governance is exercised through elected officials — current Mayor Dennis Estok, a lifelong resident who previously served as Mayor from 2004–2007 and has acted as Surveyor since 2009 — supported by the Common Council and the various boards and commissions.

Name

Knox City Ele.

Legal name

City of Knox

Website

https://cityofknox.net

Company type

Public

Founded year

1851

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The City of Knox is the municipal government and county seat of Starke County, Indiana, founded in 1851 to deliver public safety, water/wastewater utilities, parks, streets, and planning services to its ~3,700 residents and local businesses, funded by taxes, utility billings, and permit fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Government Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Utilities (221), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (925), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (92512), Police Protection (922120)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF), Planning, Zoning, Permitting & Code Enforcement (BPAIACAE), Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services (BPAIACAI)

Keywords

• Municipal services
• Public safety
• Water utilities
• Parks and recreation
• Local government

Headquarters

HQ city

Knox

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Property and Local Taxes: Municipal government funded primarily through property taxes and local tax revenues collected from residents and businesses within the city limits.
2. Utility Payments: Revenue from water and wastewater utility services billed to residents and businesses. Payments can be made online, by phone, or via drop-box.
3. Licensing and Permit Fees: Annual dog tag fees of $5.00 per dog, yard sale permits, building permits, and other regulatory fees collected by the Clerk-Treasurer's office.
4. Sanitation Services: Waste collection and recycling services provided by Republic Services, LLC (contracted since August 1, 2021) with residential trash pickup on Thursdays (west of US 35) and Fridays (east of US 35).

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The City of Knox delivers essential municipal government services to its residents and businesses, including fire and police protection, water and wastewater utilities, street maintenance, parks and recreation, community planning and zoning, and a city court. The city also operates community facilities — a community center, park shelters, and the Wythogan Park Performance Stage — that can be used by residents and visitors for events and gatherings.

Product overview

The City of Knox operates as a municipal government offering public services through multiple departments and facilities. The city's service portfolio includes core public safety services (Fire Department, Police Department, City Court), utility services (Water Department, Wastewater Department), infrastructure maintenance (Street Department), and community development (Parks & Recreation, Planning and Zoning). Key facilities include the Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center, Park Shelters, and the Wythogan Park Performance Stage. The government operates through the Mayor's Office, Common Council, Clerk-Treasurer's Office, and various boards and commissions. The city utilizes third-party platforms for online payments (Pay.gov, InvoiceCloud) and legal resources (MuniCode for ordinances), while providing transparent governance through published meeting minutes from 2018-2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fire Department Services Fire protection and emergency response services provided to City of Knox residents and businesses.
• Police Department Services Law enforcement and community policing services for City of Knox residents, businesses, and visitors.
• Water Utility Services Drinking water supply and distribution to properties within the City of Knox.
• Wastewater Utility Services Collection and treatment of sewage and wastewater for properties within the City of Knox.
• Street Department Services Road and right-of-way maintenance, including routine street upkeep and seasonal operations within City of Knox.
• Parks & Recreation Services Maintenance and operation of City of Knox parks and recreation amenities for public use.
• Planning Services Community planning, zoning administration, and development review for properties within the City of Knox.
• City Court Services Municipal judicial proceedings (City Court) handling local ordinance and traffic matters within Knox.
• Community Center
• Park Shelters
• Wythogan Park Performance Stage

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Republic Services, LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2021Republic Services, LLC provides trash and recycling pick-up services for City of Knox residents. Trash pickup occurs weekly on Thursdays for west side of US 35 and Fridays for east side. Recycling pickup occurs every other Thursday.
• Ball State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2020The City of Knox contracted with Ball State University to prepare an Urban Revitalization Plan aimed at assisting the city in revitalizing the downtown area and improving historic buildings through design proposals that would help property owners improve their building facades.
• 10-56 BrewingminorOthers10-56 Brewing provides beer and cider for the Beer Garden at Fall Bash and other city events.
• 10-56 BrewingminorOthersProvides craft beer and cider for the Beer Garden at Fall Bash event in Wythogan Park.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• City of Columbia City, Indiana: Small Indiana county seat (Whitley County) operating police, fire, water/wastewater, parks, and planning departments. Closely comparable service scope and population tier.
• City of North Vernon, Indiana: Small Indiana city providing municipal utilities, public safety, and parks/recreation services. Comparable rural-Indiana municipal operating model.
• City of Plymouth, Indiana: Small Indiana city of comparable size and county-seat status operating similar municipal services (police, fire, water/wastewater, parks, planning). Materially comparable scale, governance structure, and service portfolio to Knox.
• Town of Winamac, Indiana: Small Indiana municipal entity in the same North-Central region as Knox (Pulaski County seat). Closely comparable in size, service scope, and regional economic context.
• City of Wabash, Indiana: Indiana county seat operating comparable full-service municipal functions. Similar size tier and economic dependence on a small-town property tax base.
• City of Rensselaer, Indiana: County seat of Jasper County, Indiana. Similar small-city service mix including municipal water/wastewater utilities, police, fire, and parks — directly comparable operational profile.
• City of Warsaw, Indiana: Indiana county seat providing similar municipal services. Slightly larger and more economically diversified, but operates a directly comparable department structure.
• City of Monticello, Indiana: Small Indiana city providing full municipal services (utilities, public safety, parks, planning). Comparable in population tier and rural-North-Central-Indiana economic profile.
• City of Rochester, Indiana: County seat of Fulton County, Indiana, operating similar small-city municipal services. Comparable population tier and rural-Indiana economic context, making it a directly comparable peer for service scope and scale.

Others

• Indiana Municipal Power Agency: Indiana-based joint agency that supplies power to municipal electric utilities across the state. Adjacent ecosystem participant relevant to Knox as a potential municipal utility customer or partner; not a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CityofKnoxIN
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/knox-city-police

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Knox City Ele.