Town Hall · Plains

Plains, PA town hall & government

Plains spent $9.7 million in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,009 per resident.

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

Town budget

Where Plains's money goes

Spent
$9.7 million
fiscal year to December 31, 2022
Per resident
$1,009
typical Pennsylvania towns: $466
Long-term debt
$6.2 million
$645 per resident
Police
$2 million20%
Roads & transportation
$1.9 million19%
Fire
$1.8 million18%
Administration & buildings
$1.3 million14%
Sewer & trash
$333,0003%
Parks & libraries
$179,0002%
Interest on debt
$40,000<1%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$18,000<1%
Health & welfare
$2,000<1%
Other
$2.2 million23%

Where the money comes from

  • From the state 39%
  • Other taxes & licenses 22%
  • Property taxes 16%
  • Income taxes 13%
  • From the federal government 5%
  • Fees & charges 4%
  • Interest, fines & other 1%
  • From other local governments 1%
  • Sales taxes <1%
Town workforce · Census estimate

Who works for Plains

Full-time staff
57
22 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$72,700
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
21
and 17 full-time firefighters
Police
21 full-time
Fire
17 full-time6 part
Roads & transportation
13 full-time5 part
Administration & buildings
0 full-time6 part
Sewer & trash
2 full-time1 part
Parks & libraries
1 full-time1 part
Other
3 full-time3 part

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2022. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate. Plains didn't report its staffing to the Census Bureau, so these are the Bureau's estimates.

Schools · school year 2023–24

Wilkes-Barre Area School District

Plains's K–12 school district, shared with Bear Creek, Bear Creek Village, Buck, Laflin, Laurel Run and Wilkes-Barre. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$12,925
Pennsylvania: $21,758
Students
8,134
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$155.6 million
at year end

Where the district's money comes from Pennsylvania districts overall: 55% local, 37% state, 8% federal

  • Local 44%
  • State 45%
  • Federal 12%

Of the $12,925 per pupil, $8,609 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 Plains pay

Typical tax bill
$2,301
a year · Pennsylvania typical $3,311
Effective rate
1.40%
of home value · Pennsylvania 1.30%
Typical home value
$164,200
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 Plains's government

Town hall & decisions in Plains →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Plains

Plains is represented in Congress by Senators John Fetterman and David McCormick and Representative Robert P. Bresnahan, Jr.. Josh Shapiro is governor.

All of Plains'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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Pennsylvania · PA · Luzerne County
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