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2019-07-19 13 07 10 View of Front Royal, Interstate 66, U.S. Routes 340 and 522 and Virginia State Route 55 in Warren County, Virginia, viewed from an airplane which recently took off from Washington Dulles International AirportPhoto: Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Front Royal

Front Royal spent less per resident in 2022 than 81% of similar cities

Front Royal’s town government spent $19.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,288 per resident. Water and other utilities ($19.8 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Today

General election in Virginia.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2024
$19.7M
year to June 30, 2024
Per resident, 2024
$1,288
In 2022: $1,098, less than 81% of 36 similar cities
Long-term debt
$40.6M
end of FY2024, reported
Town staff, 2022
171
full-time · 16 part-time · March payroll $890,936 · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$1,600
0.51% of home value · VA 0.73%

What stands out about how Front Royal is run

Read from the town’s budget, meetings and official records.

Agendas posted online6 upcoming meetings posted, with agendas.Spends less than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,098 per resident, less than 81% of 36 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer61% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2024).Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $1,600 a year: 0.51% of the home’s value, vs 0.73% across Virginia.
★ What stands out · Meetings

6 upcoming meetings at town hall

From Front Royal’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.

Recent meetings

Go in person

Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.

Agenda portal ↗
Your share of the 2024 budget

About $1,288 per resident a year, or $3.53 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 29%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 47%From the federal government 15%Fees & charges 14%Sales taxes 8%From the state 6%Property taxes 5%Interest, fines & other 3%Other taxes & licenses 3%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $4.3 million; interest on debt $364,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $44.2 million.
Compared with similar places

$1,098 per resident in 2022: less than 81% of them

Front Royal’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,098 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 36 Virginia cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,530, and the middle half spent $1,231–$1,888. Front Royal spent less than 81% of them.

Middle half of the group, $1,231–$1,888Median $1,530Front Royal

Includes sewer and trash ($4 million), 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
36

Virginia cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Front Royal itself left out).

Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 16% since 2022

Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Front Royal reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$16.9 million
2023$19 million
2024$19.7 million

Per resident: 2022: $1,098 · 2023: $1,256 · 2024: $1,288.

Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,600 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.51% of the home’s value, vs 0.73% across Virginia.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Virginia$2,790
Front Royal$1,600
$1,600
typical bill a year
0.51%
effective rate
$314,400
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Front Royal

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

See frontroyalva.com for Front Royal’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Front Royal yet.frontroyalva.com ↗
Who works for Front Royal

One full-time town employee for every 89 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (15,263).

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

Police55 + 4 pt
Water & other utilities32 + 1 pt
Sewer & trash31 + 2 pt
Roads & transportation15
Administration & buildings9
Housing & development4
Parks & libraries4
Other21 + 9 pt
171
full-time
16
part-time
$890,936
payroll for March 2022
$10.7M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$59,400
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
40
sworn police officers
Estimates.Front Royal didn’t report its staff figures; these are the Census Bureau’s estimates, so they aren’t compared with other towns.

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

Warren County Public Schools

Front Royal’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Front Royal →
$14,908
per pupil · VA $17,169
5,129
students
$6.3 million
long-term debt

Of the $14,908 per pupil, $9,143 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 39%State 50%Federal 12%

Virginia districts overall: 49% local, 41% state, 10% federal.

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Front Royal’s votes are counted by county

Virginia reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Front Royal alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Warren County’s results.

President · Warren County’s results22,679 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican67.9%15,400 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat30.5%6,910 votes

Others: 1.6% (369 votes).

Most votes in Warren County: Donald J Trump

Virginia: Harris 51.8%, Trump 46.1%

The county’s page

100% of Front Royal lies in Warren County. Every 2024 race in Warren County is on the county’s page.

Warren 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 Front Royal

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Front Royal.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Officials: frontroyalva.com ↗
  2. 2
    Virginia House of DelegatesState representatives
    Delores Oates
  3. 3
    Virginia SenateState senator
    Timmy French
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Abigail Spanberger
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Ben Cline
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Virginia
    Mark R. WarnerTim Kaine

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

Reach Front Royal’s government

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

The Handbook →
Official websitefrontroyalva.com ↗

Questions about Front Royal’s government

How much does Front Royal spend per resident?

About $1,288 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,098 was less than 81% of 36 Virginia cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Front Royal?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,600 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.51% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.73% across Virginia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see frontroyalva.com.

Who runs Front Royal’s government?

See frontroyalva.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Front Royal yet.

How did Front Royal vote in 2024?

Virginia counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Front Royal alone. Warren County, where 100% of Front Royal lies, voted Trump 67.9%, Harris 30.5% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Front Royal?

171 full-time and 16 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $890,936 (about $10.7M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Front Royal in the state legislature?

State Senate District 1 (Timmy French) and House of Delegates District 31 (Delores Oates). The House of Delegates district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

When is the next public meeting in Front Royal?

The next posted meeting is Planning Commission Work Session on Wednesday, November 4, at 6:00 pm in Town Hall, 102 East Main Street, from the town’s own agenda portal.

Ask neighbors about Front Royal’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 →