Southwest Harbor, ME town hall & government
Southwest Harbor spent $8 million in the year to June 30, 2022, about $4,467 per resident.
Where the money goes, where it comes from, property taxes, and how to reach Southwest Harbor's government.
Where Southwest Harbor's money goes
Southwest Harbor runs its own schools, so school spending is part of its budget. Comparisons are with other Maine towns.
Where the money comes from
- Property taxes 83%
- From other local governments 6%
- From the state 5%
- Interest, fines & other 4%
- From the federal government <1%
- Other taxes & licenses <1%
- Fees & charges <1%
- Sales taxes <1%
- Utility sales <1%
Revenue here is well above spending. That usually means Southwest Harbor collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted above.
Who works for Southwest Harbor
Staff on the town's payroll in March 2025. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate. Southwest Harbor didn't report its staffing to the Census Bureau, so these are the Bureau's estimates.
Mount Desert Community School District
Southwest Harbor's high school school district, shared with Bar Harbor, Mount Desert and Tremont. The schools are run by Southwest Harbor, so this money is part of the budget above.
Where the district's money comes from Maine districts overall: 52% local, 40% state, 8% federal
- Local 86%
- State 12%
- Federal 2%
Of the $27,878 per pupil, $16,530 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.
Also serving Southwest Harbor: Southwest Harbor ($37,828 per pupil).
What homeowners in Southwest Harbor pay
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. In a town this small the survey estimate has a wide margin.
Contact Southwest Harbor's government
Who represents Southwest Harbor
Southwest Harbor is represented in Congress by Senators Susan M. Collins and Angus S. King, Jr. and Representative Jared F. Golden. Janet Mills is governor.
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.