How is Blakely run?
Blakely’s borough government spent $5.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $920 per resident. Water and other utilities ($3.6 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Blakely is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
About $920 per resident a year, or $2.52 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 29%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$920 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Blakely’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($920 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 290 Pennsylvania cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $856, and the middle half spent $655–$1,098. Blakely spent more than 59% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($647,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Pennsylvania cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Blakely itself left out).
No trend yet
Blakely reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,830 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.92% of the home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Blakely’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 Blakely’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Blakely →
Who’s in charge in Blakely
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Blakely’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on blakelyborough.com ↗.
One full-time borough employee for every 176 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 (6,174).
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.
Valley View School District
Blakely’s K–12 school district, shared with Archbald, Jessup. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,919 per pupil, $10,980 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.
Pennsylvania districts overall: 55% local, 37% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Blakely’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Blakely alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Lackawanna County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat51.0%59,510 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican48.3%56,261 votesOthers: 0.7% (819 votes).
Most votes in Lackawanna County: Kamala D Harris
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Blakely lies in Lackawanna County. Every 2024 race in Lackawanna County is on the county’s page.
Lackawanna County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Blakely.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: blakelyborough.com ↗
- 2Pennsylvania HouseState representatives
- 3Pennsylvania SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Pennsylvania
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Blakely compares with the towns next door
Blakely spent $920 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $480 to $985. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Scott Township | $480 | $3,605 |
| Archbald | $705 | $2,976 |
| Olyphant | $738 | $2,274 |
| Jessup | $919 | $2,080 |
| Dickson City | $985 | $1,647 |
| Blakely | $920 | $1,830 |
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 Blakely’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Blakely’s government
How much does Blakely spend per resident?
About $920 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 $920 was more than 59% of 290 Pennsylvania cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Blakely?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,830 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.92% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see blakelyborough.com.
Who runs Blakely’s government?
See blakelyborough.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Blakely yet.
How did Blakely vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Blakely alone. Lackawanna County, where 100% of Blakely lies, voted Harris 51.0%, Trump 48.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Blakely?
35 full-time and 0 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $183,411 (about $2.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Blakely in the state legislature?
State Senate District 40 (Rosemary Brown) and State House District 112 (Kyle Mullins). The House district also covers 12 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Blakely’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 →