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Town Hall · Garrett

How Garrett is run

Garrett spent $353,000 in the year to December 31, 2022, about $823 per resident.

City budget
$353,000
spent, year to December 31, 2022
Per resident
$823
Below typical Pennsylvania cities ($923)
Long-term debt
$1.2 million
$2,695 per resident
City staff
2
full-time · 1 part-time
Typical tax bill
$779
a year · PA $3,311

What stands out about how Garrett is run

Read from the town’s budget, meetings and records. The page puts what stands out first.

★ What stands out · Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $779 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.89% of the home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Pennsylvania$3,311
Garrett$779
$779
typical bill a year
0.89%
effective rate
$87,400
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Garrett’s rate.

Can I afford it? →

The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.

Your share of the budget

About $823 per resident a year, or $2.25 a day

The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 39% of spending.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 38%Utility sales 30%Income taxes 12%Property taxes 7%From the state 6%Other taxes & licenses 3%Interest, fines & other 2%From other local governments 1%
The school district

Meyersdale Area School District

Garrett’s K–12 school district, shared with Callimont, Greenville, Larimer, Meyersdale, Southampton and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Garrett →
$19,902
per pupil · PA $21,758
752
students
$627,000
long-term debt

Of the $19,902 per pupil, $11,694 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 22%State 66%Federal 12%

Pennsylvania districts overall: 55% local, 37% state, 8% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Garrett

Local officials aren’t in the public records we use for Garrett yet. Neighbors can add them.

Who works for Garrett

One full-time town employee for every 215 residents

On the payroll in March 2022.

By department full-time, plus part-time

Sewer & trash1
Water & other utilities1
Administration & buildings0 + 1 pt
2
full-time
1
part-time
$30,700
average full-time pay, before benefits

Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it’s approximate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

Who represents Garrett

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Garrett.

Politics & elections →
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Pennsylvania HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Pennsylvania SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Pennsylvania

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Garrett’s government

Numbers and hours come from neighbors and the town’s own site (the Handbook). A new one goes live once two neighbors confirm it.

The Handbook →

Questions about how Garrett is run?

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Weigh in
Does Garrett get good value for its tax dollars?

Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.

Ask neighbors

Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. School district: Census school finance survey. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 5-year estimates. Representatives: Open States, the Census and congress-legislators.

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Add to the handbook

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