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Plumb GrovePlumb Grove · Photo: Acroterion · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Clear Spring

Clear Spring spent less per resident in 2022 than 76% of similar cities

Clear Spring’s town government spent $157,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $434 per resident.

Election Day

Today

General election in Maryland.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$157,000
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$434
In 2022: $434, less than 76% of 79 similar cities
Long-term debt
$382,000
end of FY2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
5
full-time · 0 part-time · March payroll $4,286
Typical tax bill
$1,432
0.82% of home value · MD 0.97%

What stands out about how Clear Spring is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Spends less than most similar citiesIn 2022: $434 per resident, less than 76% of 79 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer18% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Washington County Public Schools with 6+ other towns.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $1,432 a year: 0.82% of the home’s value, vs 0.97% across Maryland.
Compared with similar places

$434 per resident in 2022: less than 76% of them

Clear Spring’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($434 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 79 Maryland cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $847, and the middle half spent $454–$1,316. Clear Spring spent less than 76% of them.

Middle half of the group, $454–$1,316Median $847Clear Spring

Includes sewer and trash ($29,000), 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
79

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

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $434 per resident a year, or $1.19 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 22%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 38%Utility sales 26%Property taxes 11%Interest, fines & other 11%Income taxes 5%Sales taxes 3%From other local governments 3%From the state 3%Other taxes & licenses 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $16,000; interest on debt $17,000. With these, the whole budget was $190,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

Clear Spring reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,432 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.82% of the home’s value, vs 0.97% across Maryland.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Maryland$4,093
Clear Spring$1,432
$1,432
typical bill a year
0.82%
effective rate
$175,000
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Clear Spring

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

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

One full-time town employee for every 72 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 (362).

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

Administration & buildings5
5
full-time
0
part-time
$4,286
payroll for March 2022
$51,432
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$10,300
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Clear Spring had 13.8 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 54 of the 79 Maryland cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 3.6: Clear Spring had more than 91% 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

Washington County Public Schools

Clear Spring’s K–12 school district, shared with Boonsboro, Funkstown, Hagerstown, Hancock, Keedysville and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Clear Spring →
$17,516
per pupil · MD $20,258
22,549
students
$53.2 million
long-term debt

Of the $17,516 per pupil, $10,487 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 30%State 58%Federal 12%

Maryland districts overall: 47% local, 44% state, 9% federal.

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Clear Spring’s votes are counted by county

Maryland reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Clear Spring alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Washington County’s results.

President · Washington County’s results73,332 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican60.1%44,054 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat37.2%27,260 votes

Others: 2.8% (2,018 votes).

Most votes in Washington County: Donald J Trump

Maryland: Harris 62.6%, Trump 34.1%

The county’s page

100% of Clear Spring lies in Washington County. Every 2024 race in Washington County is on the county’s page.

Washington County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Clear Spring

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Clear Spring.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Maryland House of DelegatesState representatives
    Terry Baker
  3. 3
    Maryland SenateState senator
    Mike McKay
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Wes Moore
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    April McClain Delaney
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Maryland
    Chris Van HollenAngela D. Alsobrooks

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

Reach Clear Spring’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Clear Spring’s government

How much does Clear Spring spend per resident?

About $434 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $434 was less than 76% of 79 Maryland cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Clear Spring?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,432 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.82% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.97% across Maryland. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.

Who runs Clear Spring’s government?

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

How did Clear Spring vote in 2024?

Maryland counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Clear Spring alone. Washington County, where 100% of Clear Spring lies, voted Trump 60.1%, Harris 37.2% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Clear Spring?

5 full-time and 0 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $4,286 (about $51,432 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Clear Spring in the state legislature?

State Senate District 1 (Mike McKay) and House of Delegates District 1C (Terry Baker). The House of Delegates district also covers two neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Clear Spring’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 →