Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY-SA 4.0How is Taunton run?
Taunton’s city government spent $311 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $5,190 per resident. Water and other utilities ($119.1 million) are counted separately.
City Council Committees
5:30 pm · Taunton City Hall, 15 Summer Street, Chester R. Martin Municipal Council Chambers
All meetings →What stands out about how Taunton is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Taunton’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov10City Council CommitteesTuesday · 5:30 pm · Taunton City Hall, 15 Summer Street, Chester R. Martin Municipal Council ChambersCity Council Committees MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov17City Council CommitteesTuesday · 5:30 pm · Taunton City Hall, 15 Summer Street, Chester R. Martin Municipal Council ChambersCity Council Committees MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov24City Council CommitteesTuesday · 5:30 pm · Taunton City Hall, 15 Summer Street, Chester R. Martin Municipal Council ChambersCity Council Committees MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Dec1City Council CommitteesTuesday · 5:30 pm · Taunton City Hall, 15 Summer Street, Chester R. Martin Municipal Council ChambersCity Council Committees MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Dec2City Council CommitteesWednesday · 6:00 pm · 15 Summer Street, 2nd FloorDecember 2, 2026Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Dec8City Council CommitteesTuesday · 5:30 pm · Taunton City Hall, 15 Summer Street, Chester R. Martin Municipal Council ChambersCity Council Committees MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Nov3City Council CommitteesTuesday · 5:30 pm · Taunton City Hall, 15 Summer Street, Chester R. Martin Municipal Council ChambersCity Council Committees MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Nov2City Council CommitteesMonday · 7:30 am · 15 Summer Street, 2nd FloorNovember 2, 2026Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct27City Council CommitteesTuesday · 5:30 pm · Taunton City Hall, 15 Summer Street, Chester R. Martin Municipal Council ChambersCity Council Committees MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct20City Council CommitteesTuesday · 5:30 pm · Taunton City Hall, 15 Summer Street, Chester R. Martin Municipal Council ChambersCity Council Committees MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct13City Council CommitteesTuesday · 5:30 pm · Taunton City Hall, 15 Summer Street, Chester R. Martin Municipal Council ChambersCity Council Committees MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $5,190 per resident a year, or $14.22 a day
Schools are part of the city’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 54% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Taunton runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with Massachusetts cities of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools.
$4,370 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Taunton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($4,370 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 18 Massachusetts cities of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools: the median was $4,216, and the middle half spent $3,909–$4,965. Taunton spent more than 61% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($10 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Massachusetts cities of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Taunton itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 23% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Taunton 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: $4,370 · 2023: $4,466 · 2024: $5,190.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,344 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.03% of the home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Taunton’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.
Tax bills are one input to Taunton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Taunton →
Who’s in charge in Taunton
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 37 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (59,922).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Taunton School District
Taunton’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by Taunton, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $20,128 per pupil, $12,002 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.
Massachusetts districts overall: 49% local, 43% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Taunton voted in 2024
Official results for Taunton’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat50.3%13,582 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican47.6%12,837 votesOthers: 2.1% (561 votes).
Most votes in Taunton: Kamala D Harris
Bristol County: Harris 49.6%, Trump 48.3% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%
of Taunton’s 44,608 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Taunton: Elizabeth Ann Warren
Bristol County: Deaton 50.3%, Warren 49.6% · Massachusetts: Warren 59.8%, Deaton 40.0%
Most votes in the district: Jake Auchincloss
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Taunton, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taunton | 50.3% | 47.6% | 2.1% | 26,980 |
| Bristol County | 49.6% | 48.3% | 2.2% | 278,017 |
| Massachusetts | 61.2% | 36.0% | 2.8% | 3,473,668 |
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 Taunton.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: taunton-ma.gov ↗
- 2Massachusetts HouseTaunton is split between 3 districts
- 3Massachusetts SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Massachusetts
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Taunton compares with the towns next door
Taunton spent $4,370 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
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 Taunton’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Taunton’s government
How much does Taunton spend per resident?
About $5,190 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $4,370 was more than 61% of 18 Massachusetts cities of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Taunton?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,344 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.03% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see taunton-ma.gov.
Who runs Taunton’s government?
See taunton-ma.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Taunton yet.
How did Taunton vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 50.3%, Donald J Trump 47.6% (26,980 votes, official results). Bristol County: Harris 49.6%, Trump 48.3%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.
How many people work for Taunton?
1,609 full-time and 217 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $10.7M (about $128.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Taunton in the state legislature?
Taunton is split among 3 State House districts, so your address decides. The Massachusetts Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District Third Bristol and Plymouth (Kelly Dooner). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Taunton?
The next posted meeting is City Council Committees on Tuesday, November 10, at 5:30 pm in Taunton City Hall, 15 Summer Street, Chester R. Martin Municipal Council Chambers, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Taunton’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 →