Photo: RyeCityRoller · CC BY-SA 4.0Fort Lee spent more per resident in 2022 than 67% of similar cities
Fort Lee’s borough government spent $57.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,511 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau.
What stands out about how Fort Lee is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
$1,511 per resident in 2022: more than 67% of them
Fort Lee’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,511 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 15 New Jersey cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,267, and the middle half spent $1,009–$1,703. Fort Lee spent more than 67% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3.6 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 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Fort Lee itself left out).
About $1,511 per resident a year, or $4.14 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 28%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Fort Lee collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
No trend yet
Fort Lee reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2024 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, up from 326 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
The typical homeowner pays $9,212 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.06% 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 Fort Lee’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 Fort Lee’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Fort Lee →
Who’s in charge in Fort Lee
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Fort Lee’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on fortleenj.org ↗.
One full-time borough employee for every 114 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (38,356).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Fort Lee Borough School District
Fort Lee’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $24,074 per pupil, $14,289 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 Fort Lee.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: fortleenj.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 Fort Lee compares with the towns next door
Fort Lee spent $1,511 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,505 to $4,802. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Edgewater | $1,505 | $10,000+ |
| Englewood Cliffs | $2,382 | $10,000+ |
| Englewood | $4,802 runs schools | $10,000+ |
| Leonia | estimate | $10,000+ |
| Palisades Park | estimate | $10,000+ |
| Fort Lee | $1,511 | $9,212 |
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 Fort Lee’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Fort Lee’s government
How much does Fort Lee spend per resident?
About $1,511 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 $1,511 was more than 67% of 15 New Jersey cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Fort Lee?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $9,212 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.06% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.11% across New Jersey. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see fortleenj.org.
Who runs Fort Lee’s government?
See fortleenj.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Fort Lee yet.
How many people work for Fort Lee?
337 full-time and 128 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $3.2M (about $37.8M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Fort Lee in the state legislature?
State Senate District 37 (Gordon Johnson) and General Assembly District 37 (Ellen Park and Shama Haider). The General Assembly district also covers nine other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Fort Lee’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 →