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View of Shickshinny, Pennsylvania from the Mocanaqua Loop TrailPhoto: Jakec · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Shickshinny

How is Shickshinny run?

Shickshinny’s borough government spent $354,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $439 per resident.

Town website
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$354,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$439
In 2022: $439, less than 56% of 574 similar cities
Long-term debt
$16,000
end of 2022, reported
Borough staff, 2022
0
full-time · 12 part-time · March payroll $6,270
Typical tax bill
$1,361
1.60% of home value · PA 1.30%

What stands out about how Shickshinny is run

Read from the borough’s budget and official records.

The school district

Northwest Area School District

Shickshinny’s K–12 school district, shared with Fairmount Township, Hunlock Township, Huntington Township, New Columbus, Union Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Shickshinny →
$21,347
per pupil · PA $21,758
916
students
$6 million
long-term debt

Of the $21,347 per pupil, $12,284 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 38%State 55%Federal 7%

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

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

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $439 per resident a year, or $1.20 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 34%.

Where the money comes from
From the state 38%Interest, fines & other 17%Income taxes 17%From the federal government 14%Property taxes 9%Other taxes & licenses 5%Fees & charges <1%From other local governments <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $73,000; interest on debt $2,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $430,000.
Compared with similar places

$439 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

Shickshinny’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($439 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. Shickshinny spent less than 56% of them.

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

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; Shickshinny itself left out).

Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,361 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.60% of the home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Pennsylvania$3,311
Salem Township$2,528
Union Township$1,863
Shickshinny$1,361
$1,361
typical bill a year
1.60%
effective rate
$84,800
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Shickshinny

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

See shickshinny.org for Shickshinny’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Shickshinny yet.shickshinny.org ↗
Agendas

Shickshinny’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on shickshinny.org ↗.

Elections · 2024 general election

Shickshinny’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Luzerne County’s results156,150 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican59.2%92,444 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat40.0%62,504 votes

Others: 0.8% (1,202 votes).

Most votes in Luzerne County: Donald J Trump

Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%

The county’s page

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

Luzerne 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 Shickshinny

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Shickshinny.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    Pennsylvania HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Pennsylvania SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Pennsylvania

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

Next door

How Shickshinny compares with the towns next door

Shickshinny spent $439 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.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Union Township$282$1,863
Salem Township$672$2,528
Shickshinny$439$1,361

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 Shickshinny’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Shickshinny’s government

How much does Shickshinny spend per resident?

About $439 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 $439 was less than 56% of 574 Pennsylvania cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Shickshinny?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,361 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.60% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see shickshinny.org.

Who runs Shickshinny’s government?

See shickshinny.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Shickshinny yet.

How did Shickshinny vote in 2024?

Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Shickshinny alone. Luzerne County, where 100% of Shickshinny lies, voted Trump 59.2%, Harris 40.0% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Shickshinny?

0 full-time and 12 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $6,270 (about $75,240 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Shickshinny in the state legislature?

State Senate District 27 (Lynda Culver) and State House District 117 (Jamie Walsh). The House district also covers 28 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Shickshinny’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 →