Photo: Canadian2006 · CC BY-SA 3.0Bolivar spent less per resident in 2022 than 73% of similar cities
Bolivar’s borough government spent $138,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $319 per resident.
What stands out about how Bolivar is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
$319 per resident in 2022: less than 73% of them
Bolivar’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($319 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 574 Pennsylvania cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $484, and the middle half spent $300–$726. Bolivar spent less than 73% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Pennsylvania cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bolivar itself left out).
About $319 per resident a year, or $0.87 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Bolivar reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,189 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.18% 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 Bolivar’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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Bolivar’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bolivar →
Who’s in charge in Bolivar
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Ligonier Valley School District
Bolivar’s K–12 school district, shared with Cook Township, Fairfield Township, Laurel Mountain, Ligonier, Ligonier Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $21,176 per pupil, $12,077 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.
Bolivar’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Bolivar alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Westmoreland County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican63.8%135,008 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat35.4%74,904 votesOthers: 0.7% (1,538 votes).
Most votes in Westmoreland County: Donald J Trump
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Bolivar lies in Westmoreland County. Every 2024 race in Westmoreland County is on the county’s page.
Westmoreland 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 Bolivar.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 Bolivar compares with the towns next door
Bolivar spent $319 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Fairfield Township | $297 | $1,845 |
| West Wheatfield Township | $304 | $2,006 |
| Bolivar | $319 | $1,189 |
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 Bolivar’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Bolivar’s government
How much does Bolivar spend per resident?
About $319 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 $319 was less than 73% of 574 Pennsylvania cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bolivar?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,189 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.18% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the borough’s assessor.
Who runs Bolivar’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bolivar yet.
How did Bolivar vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Bolivar alone. Westmoreland County, where 100% of Bolivar lies, voted Trump 63.8%, Harris 35.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Bolivar?
0 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $2,214 (about $26,568 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bolivar in the state legislature?
State Senate District 41 (Joe Pittman) and State House District 59 (Leslie Rossi). The House district also covers 16 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bolivar’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 →