Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Fairchance

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Town Hall · Fairchance

Fairchance spent less per resident in 2022 than 68% of similar cities

Fairchance’s borough government spent $663,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $351 per resident.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$663,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$351
In 2022: $351, less than 68% of 574 similar cities
Long-term debt
$81,000
end of 2022, reported
Borough staff, 2022
3
full-time · 11 part-time · March payroll $10,808
Typical tax bill
$1,461
0.86% of home value · PA 1.30%

What stands out about how Fairchance is run

Read from the borough’s budget and official records.

Spends less than most similar citiesIn 2022: $351 per resident, less than 68% of 574 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer24% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Albert Gallatin Area School District with 6+ other towns.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $1,461 a year: 0.86% of the home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania.
Compared with similar places

$351 per resident in 2022: less than 68% of them

Fairchance’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($351 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. Fairchance spent less than 68% of them.

Middle half of the group, $300–$726Median $484Fairchance

Includes sewer and trash ($156,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
574

Pennsylvania cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Fairchance itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $351 per resident a year, or $0.96 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 24%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 34%Income taxes 20%From the federal government 12%From the state 11%Interest, fines & other 10%Property taxes 8%Other taxes & licenses 5%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $17,000; interest on debt $4,000. With these, the whole budget was $684,000.
About “Other”.31% of Fairchance’s day-to-day spending ($203,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,461 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.86% of the home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Pennsylvania$3,311
Fairchance$1,461
$1,461
typical bill a year
0.86%
effective rate
$169,100
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Fairchance

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

Check Fairchance’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Fairchance yet.
Who works for Fairchance

One full-time borough employee for every 629 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 (1,888).

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

Administration & buildings0 + 10 pt
Sewer & trash3
Courts, inspections & corrections0 + 1 pt
3
full-time
11
part-time
$10,808
payroll for March 2022
$129,696
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$39,300
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Fairchance had 1.6 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 379 of the 574 Pennsylvania cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 1.0: Fairchance had more than 58% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

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

Albert Gallatin Area School District

Fairchance’s K–12 school district, shared with Georges Township, German Township, Masontown, Nicholson Township, Point Marion and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Fairchance →
$17,830
per pupil · PA $21,758
2,971
students
$15.9 million
long-term debt

Of the $17,830 per pupil, $10,694 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 23%State 64%Federal 13%

Pennsylvania districts overall: 55% local, 37% state, 8% federal.

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Fairchance’s votes are counted by county

Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Fairchance alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Fayette County’s results.

President · Fayette County’s results63,472 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican68.7%43,633 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat30.8%19,548 votes

Others: 0.5% (291 votes).

Most votes in Fayette County: Donald J Trump

Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%

The county’s page

100% of Fairchance lies in Fayette County. Every 2024 race in Fayette County is on the county’s page.

Fayette County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Fairchance

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Fairchance.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Pennsylvania HouseState representatives
    Charity Krupa
  3. 3
    Pennsylvania SenateState senator
    Pat Stefano
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Josh Shapiro
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Guy Reschenthaler
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Pennsylvania
    John FettermanDavid McCormick

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Fairchance’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Fairchance’s government

How much does Fairchance spend per resident?

About $351 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 $351 was less than 68% of 574 Pennsylvania cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Fairchance?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,461 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.86% 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 Fairchance’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Fairchance yet.

How did Fairchance vote in 2024?

Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Fairchance alone. Fayette County, where 100% of Fairchance lies, voted Trump 68.7%, Harris 30.8% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Fairchance?

3 full-time and 11 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $10,808 (about $129,696 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Fairchance in the state legislature?

State Senate District 32 (Pat Stefano) and State House District 51 (Charity Krupa). The House district also covers 14 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Fairchance’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 →