Photo: Dough4872 · CC BY-SA 4.0How is Bellefonte run?
Bellefonte’s town government spent $198,000 on day-to-day services in the year to May 31, 2023, about $162 per resident.
What stands out about how Bellefonte is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
About $162 per resident a year, or $0.44 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 67%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Bellefonte collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
$367 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Bellefonte’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($367 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 23 Delaware cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $576, and the middle half spent $289–$2,349. Bellefonte spent less than 56% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($130,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Delaware cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bellefonte itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is down 54% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Bellefonte reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $367 · 2023: $162.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,369 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.82% of the home’s value, vs 0.50% across Delaware.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Bellefonte’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.
Tax bills are one input to Bellefonte’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bellefonte →
Who’s in charge in Bellefonte
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Bellefonte’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofbellefonte.com ↗.
Brandywine School District
Bellefonte’s K–12 school district, shared with Arden, Ardencroft, Ardentown. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $22,839 per pupil, $10,767 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.
Delaware districts overall: 32% local, 57% state, 11% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Bellefonte’s votes are counted by county
Delaware reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Bellefonte alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are New Castle County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat65.5%180,700 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican32.9%90,868 votesOthers: 1.6% (4,349 votes).
Most votes in New Castle County: Kamala D Harris
Delaware: Harris 56.5%, Trump 41.8%
100% of Bellefonte lies in New Castle County. Every 2024 race in New Castle County is on the county’s page.
New Castle County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Bellefonte.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofbellefonte.com ↗
- 2Delaware HouseState representatives
- 3Delaware SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Delaware
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Bellefonte compares with the towns next door
Bellefonte spent $367 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Bellefonte | $367 | $2,369 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Bellefonte’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bellefonte’s government
How much does Bellefonte spend per resident?
About $162 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to May 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $367 was less than 56% of 23 Delaware cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bellefonte?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,369 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.82% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.50% across Delaware. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofbellefonte.com.
Who runs Bellefonte’s government?
See townofbellefonte.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bellefonte yet.
How did Bellefonte vote in 2024?
Delaware counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Bellefonte alone. New Castle County, where 100% of Bellefonte lies, voted Harris 65.5%, Trump 32.9% for president; its page has every race.
Who represents Bellefonte in the state legislature?
State Senate District 1 (Dan Cruce) and State House District 6 (Debra Heffernan). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bellefonte’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →