Photo: Yaoiloverr · CC BY-SA 4.0Bel Air spent more per resident in 2022 than 89% of similar cities
Bel Air’s town government spent $18.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,742 per resident.
What stands out about how Bel Air is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Bel Air
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: belairmd.org ↗
Bel Air’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on belairmd.org ↗.
About $1,742 per resident a year, or $4.77 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 36%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,614 per resident in 2022: more than 89% of them
Bel Air’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,614 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 53 Maryland cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,042, and the middle half spent $783–$1,417. Bel Air spent more than 89% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3.6 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 →
Maryland cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bel Air itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 11% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Bel Air 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: $1,614 · 2023: $1,590 · 2024: $1,742.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,365 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.06% of the home’s value, vs 0.97% across Maryland.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Bel Air’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 Bel Air’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bel Air →
One full-time town employee for every 122 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 2024 finance file (10,596).
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.
Harford County Public Schools
Bel Air’s K–12 school district, shared with Aberdeen, Havre de Grace. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,479 per pupil, $10,770 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.
Maryland districts overall: 47% local, 44% state, 9% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Bel Air’s votes are counted by county
Maryland reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Bel Air alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Harford County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican55.3%83,050 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat41.6%62,453 votesOthers: 3.1% (4,587 votes).
Most votes in Harford County: Donald J Trump
Maryland: Harris 62.6%, Trump 34.1%
100% of Bel Air lies in Harford County. Every 2024 race in Harford County is on the county’s page.
Harford 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 Bel Air.
- 1Your townMayorPaula S. Ettingas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Maryland House of DelegatesBel Air is split between 2 districts
- 3Maryland SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Maryland
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Bel Air compares with the towns next door
Bel Air spent $1,614 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Bel Air | $1,614 | $3,365 |
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 Bel Air’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bel Air’s government
How much does Bel Air spend per resident?
About $1,742 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 $1,614 was more than 89% of 53 Maryland cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bel Air?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,365 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.06% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.97% across Maryland. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see belairmd.org.
Who is the mayor of Bel Air?
Paula S. Etting, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on belairmd.org.
How did Bel Air vote in 2024?
Maryland counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Bel Air alone. Harford County, where 100% of Bel Air lies, voted Trump 55.3%, Harris 41.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Bel Air?
87 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $304,847 (about $3.7M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Bel Air in the state legislature?
Bel Air is split among 2 House of Delegates districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Maryland Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bel Air’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 →