Photo: Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0How is The Plains run?
The Plains’ town government spent $109,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $460 per resident.
What stands out about how The Plains is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
About $460 per resident a year, or $1.26 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 59%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means The Plains collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
$460 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
The Plains’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($460 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 76 Virginia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $524, and the middle half spent $292–$1,368. The Plains spent less than 62% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($45,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Virginia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; The Plains itself left out).
No trend yet
The Plains reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $4,143 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.75% of the home’s value, vs 0.73% across Virginia.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at The Plains’ 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 The Plains’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in The Plains →
Who’s in charge in The Plains
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Fauquier County Public Schools
The Plains’ K–12 school district, shared with Remington, Warrenton. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,552 per pupil, $9,555 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.
Virginia districts overall: 49% local, 41% state, 10% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
The Plains’ votes are counted by county
Virginia reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for The Plains alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Fauquier County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican59.9%26,825 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat38.4%17,180 votesOthers: 1.7% (763 votes).
Most votes in Fauquier County: Donald J Trump
Virginia: Harris 51.8%, Trump 46.1%
100% of The Plains lies in Fauquier County. Every 2024 race in Fauquier County is on the county’s page.
Fauquier 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 The Plains.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Virginia House of DelegatesState representatives
- 3Virginia SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Virginia
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach The Plains’ government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about The Plains’ government
How much does The Plains spend per resident?
About $460 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $460 was less than 62% of 76 Virginia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in The Plains?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,143 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.75% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.73% across Virginia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs The Plains’ government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for The Plains yet.
How did The Plains vote in 2024?
Virginia counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for The Plains alone. Fauquier County, where 100% of The Plains lies, voted Trump 59.9%, Harris 38.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for The Plains?
0 full-time and 1 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $4,093 (about $49,116 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents The Plains in the state legislature?
State Senate District 31 (Russet Perry) and House of Delegates District 30 (John McAuliff). The House of Delegates district also covers six other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about The Plains’ 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 →