Town Hall · Lewes

Lewes, DE town hall & government

Lewes spent $10.8 million in the year to March 31, 2024, about $3,046 per resident.

Where the money goes, where it comes from, property taxes, and how to reach Lewes's government.

Town budget

Where Lewes's money goes

Spent
$10.8 million
fiscal year to March 31, 2024
Per resident
$3,046
spending per person
Long-term debt
$3.3 million
$921 per resident
Parks & libraries
$2.7 million25%
Roads & transportation
$1.6 million15%
Administration & buildings
$1.5 million14%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$350,0003%
Sewer & trash
$219,0002%
Interest on debt
$192,0002%
Other
$4.1 million39%

Where the money comes from

  • Other taxes & licenses 35%
  • Property taxes 24%
  • Sales taxes 15%
  • Fees & charges 10%
  • From the state 9%
  • Interest, fines & other 7%
Town workforce

Who works for Lewes

Full-time staff
62
16 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$62,500
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
14
full-time, with power of arrest
Police
14 full-time1 part
Roads & transportation
13 full-time2 part
Administration & buildings
5 full-time12 part
Water & other utilities
10 full-time
Parks & libraries
2 full-time
Other
18 full-time1 part

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2025. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate.

Schools · school year 2023–24

Cape Henlopen School District

Lewes's K–12 school district, shared with Dewey Beach, Henlopen Acres, Milton and Rehoboth Beach. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$21,812
Delaware: $22,312
Students
6,587
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$122.4 million
at year end

Where the district's money comes from Delaware districts overall: 32% local, 57% state, 11% federal

  • Local 40%
  • State 53%
  • Federal 7%

Of the $21,812 per pupil, $11,685 goes to classroom instruction (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to support services such as buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren't in the per-pupil figure.

Property tax

What homeowners in Lewes pay

Typical tax bill
$2,027
a year · Delaware typical $1,768
Effective rate
0.25%
of home value · Delaware 0.50%
Typical home value
$826,100
owner-occupied

The median yearly bill homeowners report, covering every local property tax on the home (town, schools, county). The effective rate is that bill divided by the median home value, so it's a rough guide, not the official tax rate.

Local

Contact Lewes's government

🏛️ Official websiteci.lewes.de.us ↗

Town hall & decisions in Lewes →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Lewes

Lewes is represented in Congress by Senators Christopher A. Coons and Lisa Blunt Rochester and Representative Sarah McBride. Matt Meyer is governor.

All of Lewes's representatives, with contacts →

Budget: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Finance (every city and town government's revenue, spending and debt, grouped into plain categories). Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

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Lewes

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