Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Alpha

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Alpha, NJ Volunteer Fire Company, Nov. 2024Photo: Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page, my Commons user talk page, or my English Wikipedia user talk page; I'll know about it a lot faster) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Alpha

Alpha spent less per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar cities

Alpha’s borough government spent $199,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $88 per resident.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in New Jersey.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$199,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$88
In 2022: $88, less than 96% of 25 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of 2022, reported
Borough staff, 2022
5
full-time · 53 part-time · March payroll $69,930 · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$6,479
2.48% of home value · NJ 2.11%

What stands out about how Alpha is run

Read from the borough’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$88 per resident in 2022: less than 96% of them

Alpha’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($88 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 25 New Jersey cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,288, and the middle half spent $465–$4,695. Alpha spent less than 96% of them.

Middle half of the group, $465–$4,695Median $1,288Alpha

Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
25

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

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $88 per resident a year, or $0.24 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: health & welfare, at 35%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 98%From other local governments 2%Other taxes & licenses <1%

Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Alpha collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.

Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $6,479 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.48% of the home’s value, vs 2.11% across New Jersey.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

New Jersey$9,590
Upper Pohatcong$7,050
Alpha$6,479
$6,479
typical bill a year
2.48%
effective rate
$261,500
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Alpha

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

See alphaboronj.org for Alpha’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Alpha yet.alphaboronj.org ↗
Agendas

Alpha’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on alphaboronj.org ↗.

Who works for Alpha

One full-time borough employee for every 453 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 2022 finance file (2,263).

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

Courts, inspections & corrections0 + 25 pt
Police0 + 11 pt
Administration & buildings2 + 4 pt
Roads & transportation3
Parks & libraries0 + 4 pt
Sewer & trash0 + 4 pt
Water & other utilities0 + 4 pt
Health & welfare0 + 1 pt
5
full-time
53
part-time
$69,930
payroll for March 2022
$839,160
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$85,900
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Estimates.Alpha didn’t report its staff figures; these are the Census Bureau’s estimates, so they aren’t compared with other towns.

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

Alpha Borough School District

Alpha’s elementary school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Alpha →
$26,853
per pupil · NJ $28,441
204
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $26,853 per pupil, $15,877 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 55%State 42%Federal 3%

New Jersey districts overall: 48% local, 46% state, 6% federal.

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

Who represents Alpha

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Alpha.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    New Jersey General AssemblyState representatives
  3. 3
    New Jersey SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New Jersey

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

Next door

How Alpha compares with the towns next door

Alpha spent $88 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Alpha$88$6,479

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 Alpha’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Alpha’s government

How much does Alpha spend per resident?

About $88 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $88 was less than 96% of 25 New Jersey cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Alpha?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,479 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.48% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.11% across New Jersey. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see alphaboronj.org.

Who runs Alpha’s government?

See alphaboronj.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Alpha yet.

How many people work for Alpha?

5 full-time and 53 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $69,930 (about $839,160 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Alpha in the state legislature?

State Senate District 23 (Doug Steinhardt) and General Assembly District 23 (Erik Peterson and John DiMaio). The General Assembly district also covers 37 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Alpha’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 →