Town Hall · Winchester

Winchester, VA town hall & government

Winchester spent $277.8 million in the year to June 30, 2024, about $9,946 per resident.

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

Local leadership

Who runs Winchester

John David Smith, Jr.MayorSince 2016 Wikidata ↗ Out of date?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 If a name is out of date, tell us: when two neighbors agree, it's hidden until the records catch up.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 Winchester's money goes

Spent
$277.8 million
fiscal year to June 30, 2024
Per resident
$9,946
typical Virginia cities: $3,544
Long-term debt
$261.5 million
$9,360 per resident
Schools
$91.5 million33%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$42.4 million15%
Sewer & trash
$24.1 million9%
Roads & transportation
$19 million7%
Water & other utilities
$17.6 million6%
Health & welfare
$17.2 million6%
Police
$13.2 million5%
Administration & buildings
$11.4 million4%
Parks & libraries
$9.2 million3%
Fire
$9 million3%
Interest on debt
$3.5 million1%
Housing & development
$2.6 million1%
Paid to other governments
$1.8 million1%
Other
$15.2 million5%

Winchester runs its own schools, so school spending is part of its budget. Comparisons are with other Virginia cities.

Where the money comes from

  • Property taxes 25%
  • From the state 22%
  • Fees & charges 14%
  • Sales taxes 13%
  • Utility sales 9%
  • From other local governments 7%
  • Other taxes & licenses 5%
  • Interest, fines & other 4%
  • From the federal government 2%
Town workforce

Who works for Winchester

Full-time staff
1,519
184 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$64,800
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
78
and 71 full-time firefighters
Schools
777 full-time58 part
Courts, inspections & corrections
270 full-time26 part
Police
101 full-time4 part
Fire
74 full-time7 part
Administration & buildings
52 full-time15 part
Health & welfare
53 full-time2 part
Roads & transportation
53 full-time1 part
Parks & libraries
15 full-time58 part
Water & other utilities
43 full-time1 part
Sewer & trash
42 full-time1 part
Housing & development
6 full-time6 part
Other
33 full-time5 part

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2024. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate.

Schools · school year 2023–24

Winchester City Public Schools

Winchester's K–12 school district. The schools are run by Winchester, so this money is part of the budget above.

Spending per pupil
$19,639
Virginia: $17,169
Students
4,236
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$49.2 million
at year end

Where the district's money comes from Virginia districts overall: 49% local, 41% state, 10% federal

  • Local 42%
  • State 39%
  • Federal 18%

Of the $19,639 per pupil, $10,915 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 Winchester pay

Typical tax bill
$2,591
a year · Virginia typical $2,790
Effective rate
0.76%
of home value · Virginia 0.73%
Typical home value
$343,000
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 Winchester's government

🏛️ Official websitewinchesterva.gov ↗

Town hall & decisions in Winchester →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Winchester

Winchester is represented in Congress by Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine and Representative Ben Cline. Abigail Spanberger is governor.

All of Winchester'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