Photo: Shuvaev · CC BY-SA 4.0How is West Penn Township run?
West Penn Township’s town government spent $2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $464 per resident.
What stands out about how West Penn Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Tamaqua Area School District
West Penn Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Schuylkill Township, Tamaqua, Walker Township, Rush Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,833 per pupil, $9,496 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.
About $464 per resident a year, or $1.27 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 48%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$464 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
West Penn Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($464 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 466 Pennsylvania towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $419, and the middle half spent $306–$593. West Penn Township spent more than 57% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($57,000), 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 towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; West Penn Township itself left out).
No trend yet
West Penn Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,459 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.48% 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 West Penn Township’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 West Penn Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in West Penn Township →
Who’s in charge in West Penn Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 390 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 (4,295).
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.
West Penn Township’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for West Penn Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Schuylkill County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican70.6%51,665 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat28.5%20,882 votesOthers: 0.9% (637 votes).
Most votes in Schuylkill County: Donald J Trump
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of West Penn Township lies in Schuylkill County. Every 2024 race in Schuylkill County is on the county’s page.
Schuylkill 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 West Penn Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal 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 West Penn Township compares with the towns next door
West Penn Township spent $464 per resident in 2022; the 7 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $332 to $938. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Walker Township | $332 | $3,306 |
| Lynn Township | $353 | $4,486 |
| Heidelberg Township | $372 | $4,583 |
| Mahoning Township | $488 | $3,726 |
| East Penn Township | $541 | $3,665 |
| East Brunswick Township | $658 | $3,671 |
| Tamaqua | $938 | $1,643 |
| West Penn Township | $464 | $3,459 |
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 West Penn Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about West Penn Township’s government
How much does West Penn Township spend per resident?
About $464 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 $464 was more than 57% of 466 Pennsylvania towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in West Penn Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,459 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.48% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs West Penn Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for West Penn Township yet.
How did West Penn Township vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for West Penn Township alone. Schuylkill County, where 100% of West Penn Township lies, voted Trump 70.6%, Harris 28.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for West Penn Township?
11 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $65,043 (about $780,516 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents West Penn Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 29 (Dave Argall) and State House District 124 (Jamie Barton). The House district also covers 26 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about West Penn Township’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 →