Town Hall · Canton

Canton, NC town hall & government

Canton spent $13 million in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,959 per resident.

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

Local leadership

Who runs Canton

Zeb SmathersMayorSince 2017 Wikidata ↗ Out of date? Sign in to tell us

From public records (Open States and Wikidata), which can lag behind an election. If a name is out of date, tell us: when two neighbors agree, it's hidden until the records catch up.

Town budget

Where Canton's money goes

Spent
$13 million
fiscal year to June 30, 2024
Per resident
$2,959
typical North Carolina cities: $2,639
Long-term debt
$2.1 million
$471 per resident
Water & other utilities
$3.5 million27%
Police
$2.1 million16%
Roads & transportation
$1.7 million13%
Parks & libraries
$1.6 million12%
Fire
$1 million8%
Administration & buildings
$767,0006%
Sewer & trash
$650,0005%
Interest on debt
$102,0001%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$42,000<1%
Paid to other governments
$7,000<1%
Health & welfare
$3,000<1%
Other
$1.5 million11%

Where the money comes from

  • Utility sales 28%
  • Property taxes 27%
  • From the state 22%
  • Interest, fines & other 11%
  • Fees & charges 11%
  • From the federal government 1%
  • Sales taxes <1%
  • Other taxes & licenses <1%
  • From other local governments <1%
Town workforce

Who works for Canton

Full-time staff
65
12 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$42,800
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
14
and 10 full-time firefighters
Police
19 full-time
Roads & transportation
12 full-time1 part
Fire
10 full-time1 part
Administration & buildings
6 full-time3 part
Sewer & trash
7 full-time
Water & other utilities
6 full-time
Parks & libraries
1 full-time2 part
Other
4 full-time5 part

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2022. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate.

Schools · school year 2023–24

Haywood County Schools

Canton's K–12 school district, shared with Clyde, Maggie Valley and Waynesville. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$13,053
North Carolina: $13,045
Students
6,566
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$4.3 million
at year end

Where the district's money comes from North Carolina districts overall: 26% local, 57% state, 17% federal

  • Local 26%
  • State 56%
  • Federal 17%

Of the $13,053 per pupil, $8,001 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 Canton pay

Typical tax bill
$1,545
a year · North Carolina typical $1,896
Effective rate
0.63%
of home value · North Carolina 0.66%
Typical home value
$246,700
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 Canton's government

🏛️ Official websitecantonnc.com ↗

Town hall & decisions in Canton →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Canton

Canton is represented in Congress by Senators Thom Tillis and Ted Budd and Representative Chuck Edwards. Josh Stein is governor.

All of Canton'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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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01