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Fountaincity, IndianaPhoto: Chris Flook · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Fountain City

Fountain City spent more per resident in 2022 than 95% of similar cities

Fountain City’s city government spent $1.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,967 per resident. Water and other utilities ($257,000) are counted separately.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$1.5M
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,967
In 2022: $1,967, more than 95% of 363 similar cities
Long-term debt
$202,000
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2022
4
full-time · 30 part-time · March payroll $21,259
Typical tax bill
$849
0.88% of home value · IN 0.74%

What stands out about how Fountain City is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,967 per resident, more than 95% of 363 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer24% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Northeastern Wayne Schools with 5 other towns.Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $849 a year: 0.88% of the home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana.
Compared with similar places

$1,967 per resident in 2022: more than 95% of them

Fountain City’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,967 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 363 Indiana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $586, and the middle half spent $292–$960. Fountain City spent more than 95% of them.

Middle half of the group, $292–$960Median $586Fountain City

Includes sewer and trash ($158,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
363

Indiana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Fountain City itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,967 per resident a year, or $5.39 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 11%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 69%Fees & charges 14%From the state 13%From other local governments 2%Interest, fines & other 1%Property taxes 1%Sales taxes <1%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $9,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $1.7 million.
About “Other”.63% of Fountain City’s day-to-day spending ($930,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

Fountain City reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $849 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.88% of the home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Indiana$1,614
Fountain City$849
$849
typical bill a year
0.88%
effective rate
$96,200
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Fountain City’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 Fountain City’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Fountain City →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Fountain City

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

Check Fountain City’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Fountain City yet.
Who works for Fountain City

One full-time city employee for every 188 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (753).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Fire0 + 23 pt
Administration & buildings3 + 6 pt
Police1 + 1 pt
4
full-time
30
part-time
$21,259
payroll for March 2022
$255,108
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$45,800
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
1
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Fountain City had 5.3 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 221 of the 363 Indiana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 4.3: Fountain City had more than 61% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Northeastern Wayne Schools

Fountain City’s K–12 school district, shared with Franklin Township, Green Township, New Garden Township, Webster Township, Whitewater. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Fountain City →
$11,610
per pupil · IN $13,688
1,326
students
$9 million
long-term debt

Of the $11,610 per pupil, $6,637 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 20%State 60%Federal 20%

Indiana districts overall: 33% local, 56% state, 11% federal.

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

Who represents Fountain City

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Fountain City.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Indiana HouseState representatives
    Brad Barrett
  3. 3
    Indiana SenateState senator
    Jeff Raatz
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Mike Braun
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Jefferson Shreve
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Indiana
    Todd YoungJim Banks

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

Reach Fountain City’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Fountain City’s government

How much does Fountain City spend per resident?

About $1,967 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,967 was more than 95% of 363 Indiana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Fountain City?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $849 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.88% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.

Who runs Fountain City’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Fountain City yet.

How many people work for Fountain City?

4 full-time and 30 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $21,259 (about $255,108 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Fountain City in the state legislature?

State Senate District 27 (Jeff Raatz) and State House District 56 (Brad Barrett). The House district also covers 29 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Fountain City’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →