Photo: Dwainwr123 at English Wikipedia · Public domainBuena spent less per resident in 2022 than 88% of similar cities
Buena’s borough government spent $3.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $889 per resident. Water and other utilities ($602,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Buena is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
$889 per resident in 2022: less than 88% of them
Buena’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($889 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 48 New Jersey cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,535, and the middle half spent $1,110–$2,284. Buena spent less than 88% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.6 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 →
New Jersey cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Buena itself left out).
About $889 per resident a year, or $2.44 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 42%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Buena collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
No trend yet
Buena reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $6,752 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.63% of the home’s value, vs 2.11% across New Jersey.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Buena’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 Buena’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Buena →
Who’s in charge in Buena
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Buena’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on buenaboro.org ↗.
One full-time borough employee for every 237 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 (4,267).
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.
Buena Regional School District
Buena’s K–12 school district, shared with Buena Vista Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $27,955 per pupil, $16,686 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.
New Jersey districts overall: 48% local, 46% state, 6% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Buena.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: buenaboro.org ↗
- 2New Jersey General AssemblyState representatives
- 3New Jersey SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New Jersey
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Buena compares with the towns next door
Buena spent $889 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Buena Vista Township | estimate | $6,234 |
| Buena | $889 | $6,752 |
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 Buena’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Buena’s government
How much does Buena spend per resident?
About $889 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 $889 was less than 88% of 48 New Jersey cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Buena?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,752 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.63% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.11% across New Jersey. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see buenaboro.org.
Who runs Buena’s government?
See buenaboro.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Buena yet.
How many people work for Buena?
18 full-time and 41 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $135,600 (about $1.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Buena in the state legislature?
State Senate District 4 (Paul Moriarty) and General Assembly District 04 (Cody Miller and Dan Hutchison). The General Assembly district also covers nine other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Buena’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 →