Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0How is Calais run?
Calais’ city government spent $10.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $3,440 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Calais didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how Calais is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Calais
Calais’ K–12 school district. The schools are run by Calais, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $18,935 per pupil, $11,332 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.
Maine districts overall: 52% local, 40% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $3,440 per resident a year, or $9.42 a day
Schools are part of the city’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 98% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Calais runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget.
Calais didn’t report all of its 2024 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.
No comparison or trend for Calais yet
Every year of Calais’ figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the city reported none of its dollars for 2022–2024. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $1,684 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.52% of the home’s value, vs 1.02% across Maine.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Calais’ 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 Calais’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Calais →
Who’s in charge in Calais
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Calais’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on calaismaine.govoffice.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 120 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 (3,116).
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.
How Calais voted in 2024
Official results for Calais’ own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican58.0%863 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat40.3%599 votesOthers: 1.7% (26 votes).
Most votes in Calais: Donald J Trump
Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%
of Calais’ 2,515 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Maine: 75%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Calais: Angus S King Jr
Maine: Jr 52.1%, Kouzounas 34.6%
President, 2024: Calais, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calais | 58.0% | 40.3% | 1.7% | 1,488 |
| Maine | 45.5% | 52.4% | 2.1% | 831,375 |
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 Calais.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: calaismaine.govoffice.com ↗
- 2Maine HouseState representatives
- 3Maine SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Maine
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Calais compares with the towns next door
Calais’ own figures are Census estimates, so it isn’t placed among its neighbors. 0 of the 2 towns next door reported 2022 figures. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Baring plantation | estimate | $1,167 |
| Robbinston | estimate | $1,478 |
| Calais | estimate | $1,684 |
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 Calais’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Calais’ government
How much does Calais spend per resident?
About $3,440 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, a Census Bureau estimate (Calais didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $11.3 million.
What is the property tax rate in Calais?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,684 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.52% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Maine. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see calaismaine.govoffice.com.
Who runs Calais’ government?
See calaismaine.govoffice.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Calais yet.
How did Calais vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 58.0%, Kamala D Harris 40.3% (1,488 votes, official results). . Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%.
How many people work for Calais?
26 full-time and 35 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $154,443 (about $1.9M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Calais in the state legislature?
State Senate District 6 (Marianne Moore) and State House District 9 (Artie Mingo). The House district also covers seven other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Calais’ 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 (for Calais, the Bureau’s estimates); 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 →