William Carlos Williams House · Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ M.D. · CC BY-SA 4.0How is Rutherford run?
Rutherford’s borough government spent $22.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,240 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Rutherford didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how Rutherford is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
One full-time borough employee for every 153 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 (18,209).
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.
About $1,240 per resident a year, or $3.40 a day
Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: police, at 24%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Rutherford didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.
No comparison or trend for Rutherford yet
Every year of Rutherford’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the borough reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.
How Town Hall compares budgets →Typical bills top $10,000 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Rutherford’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 Rutherford’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Rutherford →
Who’s in charge in Rutherford
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Rutherford’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on rutherfordboronj.com ↗.
Rutherford Borough School District
Rutherford’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $24,993 per pupil, $15,054 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 Rutherford.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: rutherfordboronj.com ↗
- 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 Rutherford compares with the towns next door
Rutherford’s own figures are Census estimates, so it isn’t placed among its neighbors. 3 of the 4 towns next door reported 2022 figures, from $1,147 to $2,035 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Clifton | $1,147 | $10,000+ |
| East Rutherford | $1,783 | $8,163 |
| Passaic | $2,035 | $10,000+ |
| Lyndhurst Township | estimate | $10,000+ |
| Rutherford | estimate | $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 Rutherford’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Rutherford’s government
How much does Rutherford spend per resident?
About $1,240 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Rutherford didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $24.9 million.
Who runs Rutherford’s government?
See rutherfordboronj.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Rutherford yet.
How many people work for Rutherford?
119 full-time and 83 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1.2M (about $14.6M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Rutherford in the state legislature?
State Senate District 36 (Paul Sarlo) and General Assembly District 36 (Clinton Calabrese and Gary Schaer). The General Assembly district also covers 11 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Rutherford’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 (for Rutherford, 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 →