Photo: Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0How is Westminster run?
Westminster’s city government spent $30.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,511 per resident. Water and other utilities ($7.6 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Westminster is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,511 per resident a year, or $4.14 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,186 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Westminster’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,186 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–$1,426. Westminster spent more than 53% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($6.4 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; Westminster itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 39% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Westminster 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: $1,186 · 2023: $1,270 · 2024: $1,511. Per resident it went from $1,186 to $1,511 (up 27%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 18,712 to 20,393.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,079 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.21% 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 Westminster’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 Westminster’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Westminster →
Who’s in charge in Westminster
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Westminster’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on westminstermd.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 130 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 (20,393).
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.
Carroll County Public Schools
Westminster’s K–12 school district, shared with Hampstead, Manchester, New Windsor, Sykesville, Taneytown and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,773 per pupil, $10,172 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.
Westminster’s votes are counted by county
Maryland reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Westminster alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Carroll County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican60.7%62,273 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat35.9%36,867 votesOthers: 3.4% (3,511 votes).
Most votes in Carroll County: Donald J Trump
Maryland: Harris 62.6%, Trump 34.1%
100% of Westminster lies in Carroll County. Every 2024 race in Carroll County is on the county’s page.
Carroll 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 Westminster.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: westminstermd.gov ↗
- 2Maryland House of DelegatesState representatives
- 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.
Reach Westminster’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Westminster’s government
How much does Westminster spend per resident?
About $1,511 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 $1,186 was more than 53% of 53 Maryland cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Westminster?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,079 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.21% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.97% across Maryland. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see westminstermd.gov.
Who runs Westminster’s government?
See westminstermd.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Westminster yet.
How did Westminster vote in 2024?
Maryland counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Westminster alone. Carroll County, where 100% of Westminster lies, voted Trump 60.7%, Harris 35.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Westminster?
157 full-time and 32 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $890,242 (about $10.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Westminster in the state legislature?
State Senate District 5 (Justin Ready) and House of Delegates District 5 (April Rose, Chris Tomlinson and Christopher Bouchat). The House of Delegates district also covers six other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Westminster’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 →