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Town Hall · Fanwood

Fanwood spent less per resident in 2022 than 90% of similar cities

Fanwood’s borough government spent $6.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $885 per resident.

Town website
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$6.8M
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$885
In 2022: $885, less than 90% of 48 similar cities
Long-term debt
$14.4M
end of 2022, reported
Borough staff, 2022
37
full-time · 35 part-time · March payroll $351,132 · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$10,000+
a year

What stands out about how Fanwood is run

Read from the borough’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$885 per resident in 2022: less than 90% of them

Fanwood’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($885 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. Fanwood spent less than 90% of them.

Middle half of the group, $1,110–$2,284Median $1,535Fanwood

Includes sewer and trash ($1.2 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 →

The group
48

New Jersey cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Fanwood itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $885 per resident a year, or $2.42 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 41%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 93%Fees & charges 2%Sales taxes 2%From the state 1%From other local governments 1%Interest, fines & other 1%Other taxes & licenses <1%

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

Not in the receipt.Building projects $779,000; interest on debt $492,000; payments to other governments $35,000. With these, the whole budget was $8.1 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

Typical bills top $10,000 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Fanwood$10,000+
Scotch Plains Township$10,000+
New Jersey$9,590
$10,000+
typical bill a year
$635,200
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Fanwood

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

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

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

Who works for Fanwood

One full-time borough employee for every 209 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 (7,722).

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

Police18 + 10 pt
Roads & transportation9
Administration & buildings4 + 4 pt
Courts, inspections & corrections1 + 8 pt
Parks & libraries4 + 1 pt
Housing & development1 + 5 pt
Sewer & trash0 + 1 pt
Fire0 + 1 pt
Other0 + 5 pt
37
full-time
35
part-time
$351,132
payroll for March 2022
$4.2M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$92,300
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
17
sworn police officers
Estimates.Fanwood 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

Scotch Plains-Fanwood Regional School District

Fanwood’s K–12 school district, shared with Scotch Plains Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Fanwood →
$22,005
per pupil · NJ $28,441
5,758
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $22,005 per pupil, $13,806 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 74%State 24%Federal 2%

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

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

Who represents Fanwood

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Fanwood.

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 Fanwood compares with the towns next door

Fanwood spent $885 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
Scotch Plains Townshipestimate$10,000+
Fanwood$885$10,000+

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 Fanwood’s government

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

The Handbook →

Questions about Fanwood’s government

How much does Fanwood spend per resident?

About $885 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 $885 was less than 90% of 48 New Jersey cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.

Who runs Fanwood’s government?

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

How many people work for Fanwood?

37 full-time and 35 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $351,132 (about $4.2M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Fanwood in the state legislature?

State Senate District 22 (Nick Scutari) and General Assembly District 22 (Jim Kennedy and Linda Carter). The General Assembly district also covers nine other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Fanwood’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 →