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Kendall at Walnut, La FontainePhoto: Nyttend · Public domain
Town Hall · La Fontaine

La Fontaine spent more per resident in 2022 than 74% of similar cities

La Fontaine’s town government spent $773,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $954 per resident. Water and other utilities ($130,000) are counted separately.

Town website
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$773,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$954
In 2022: $954, more than 74% of 363 similar cities
Long-term debt
$975,000
end of 2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
2
full-time · 6 part-time · March payroll $15,258 · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$573
0.60% of home value · IN 0.74%

What stands out about how La Fontaine is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$954 per resident in 2022: more than 74% of them

La Fontaine’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($954 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–$967. La Fontaine spent more than 74% of them.

Middle half of the group, $292–$967Median $586La Fontaine

Includes sewer and trash ($188,000), 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; La Fontaine itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $954 per resident a year, or $2.61 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 24%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 37%Utility sales 25%From the state 24%Property taxes 12%From other local governments 1%Interest, fines & other 1%Sales taxes <1%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $46,000; interest on debt $39,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $988,000.
About “Other”.40% of La Fontaine’s day-to-day spending ($312,000) 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

La Fontaine reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $573 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.60% of the home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Indiana$1,614
La Fontaine$573
$573
typical bill a year
0.60%
effective rate
$96,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in La Fontaine

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

See townoflafontaine.com for La Fontaine’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for La Fontaine yet.townoflafontaine.com ↗
Agendas

La Fontaine’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townoflafontaine.com ↗.

Who works for La Fontaine

One full-time town employee for every 405 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (810).

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

Administration & buildings1 + 4 pt
Sewer & trash1 + 1 pt
Police0 + 1 pt
2
full-time
6
part-time
$15,258
payroll for March 2022
$183,096
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$49,800
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Estimates.La Fontaine didn’t report its staff figures; these are the Census Bureau’s estimates, so they aren’t compared with other towns.

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

Wabash County Schools Metropolitan School District

La Fontaine’s K–12 school district, shared with Lagro, Lagro Township, Liberty Township, Paw Paw Township, Roann and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in La Fontaine →
$11,924
per pupil · IN $13,688
2,301
students
$7.6 million
long-term debt

Of the $11,924 per pupil, $6,199 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 33%State 54%Federal 12%

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

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

Who represents La Fontaine

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for La Fontaine.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
  2. 2
    Indiana HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Indiana SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Indiana

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

Reach La Fontaine’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about La Fontaine’s government

How much does La Fontaine spend per resident?

About $954 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 $954 was more than 74% of 363 Indiana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in La Fontaine?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $573 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.60% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townoflafontaine.com.

Who runs La Fontaine’s government?

See townoflafontaine.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for La Fontaine yet.

How many people work for La Fontaine?

2 full-time and 6 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $15,258 (about $183,096 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents La Fontaine in the state legislature?

State Senate District 17 (Nick McKinley) and State House District 50 (Lorissa Sweet). The House district also covers 32 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about La Fontaine’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 →