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WestBerkshireSchoolPhoto: Mfwills · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Berkshire

Berkshire spent less per resident in 2022 than 90% of similar towns

Berkshire’s town government spent $684,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $390 per resident.

Town Meeting Day

In 118 days

Vermont towns vote that day.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$684,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$390
In 2022: $390, less than 90% of 83 similar towns
Long-term debt
$79,000
end of 2022, reported
Town staff, 2025
4
full-time · 7 part-time · March payroll $25,915
Typical tax bill
$3,545
1.45% of home value · VT 1.59%

What stands out about how Berkshire is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$390 per resident in 2022: less than 90% of them

Berkshire’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($390 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 83 Vermont towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $945, and the middle half spent $614–$1,274. Berkshire spent less than 90% of them.

Middle half of the group, $614–$1,274Median $945Berkshire

Includes sewer and trash ($3,000), 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
83

Vermont towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Berkshire itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $390 per resident a year, or $1.07 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 33%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 67%From the federal government 20%Interest, fines & other 13%From the state <1%

Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Berkshire collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.

Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $1,000. With these, the whole budget was $685,000.
About “Other”.38% of Berkshire’s day-to-day spending ($260,000) 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

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

Town staff
4

full-time in March 2025, down from 5 in 2022.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $3,545 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.45% of the home’s value, vs 1.59% across Vermont.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Vermont$5,039
Enosburgh$3,624
Berkshire$3,545
Franklin$3,384
Richford$3,300
$3,545
typical bill a year
1.45%
effective rate
$244,600
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Meetings

Most Vermont towns vote on March 2, 2027

Check Berkshire’s own dates: some towns hold the business session on another day or vote by ballot (SB2).

Agendas

Berkshire’s meetings aren’t in our feed yet. Neighbors who know where agendas are posted can add it to the Handbook.

Town Meeting Day
Tue, Mar 2

Vermont’s Town Meeting Day is the first Tuesday in March, when towns vote on budgets and elect officers.

Some towns hold the business session on another day, and some vote by ballot (SB2). Check Berkshire’s site for its warrant and dates.

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Berkshire

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

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

One full-time town employee for every 439 residents

On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (1,756).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025

Administration & buildings1 + 6 pt
Roads & transportation3
Other0 + 1 pt
4
full-time
7
part-time
$25,915
payroll for March 2025
$310,980
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$58,400
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Berkshire had 2.8 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 73 of the 83 Vermont towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 3.5: Berkshire had fewer than 63% 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

Northern Mountain Valley Unified Union School District 85

Berkshire’s elementary school district, shared with Bakersfield, Montgomery, Sheldon. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Berkshire →
$15,856
per pupil · VT $25,064
838
students
$3.9 million
long-term debt

Of the $15,856 per pupil, $10,827 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 1%State 99%Federal 0%

Vermont districts overall: 5% local, 89% state, 6% federal.

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

Elections · 2024 general election

How Berkshire voted in 2024

Official results for Berkshire’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.

President778 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican61.8%481 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat35.3%275 votes

Others: 2.8% (22 votes).

Most votes in Berkshire: Donald J Trump

Franklin County: Harris 49.7%, Trump 46.7% · Vermont: Harris 63.8%, Trump 32.3%

Turnout
62%

of Berkshire’s 1,263 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Vermont: 71%.

Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).

U.S. Senate762 votes
Gerald MalloyRepublican56.4%
Bernie Sanders38.7%
Others4.9%

Most votes in Berkshire: Gerald Malloy

Franklin County: Sanders 50.3%, Malloy 45.5% · Vermont: Sanders 63.2%, Malloy 32.1%

Governor770 votes
Phil ScottRepublican83.8%
Esther Charlestin9.0%
Others7.3%

Most votes in Berkshire: Phil Scott

Franklin County: Scott 82.8%, Charlestin 12.4% · Vermont: Scott 73.4%, Charlestin 21.8%

U.S. House · Vermont’s at-large district350,616 votes
Becca BalintDemocrat62.3%
Mark Coester29.8%
Others7.9%

Most votes in the district: Becca Balint

Whole-district result

President, 2024: Berkshire, its county and the state

TrumpHarrisOthersVotes
Berkshire61.8%35.3%2.8%778
Franklin County46.7%49.7%3.6%26,743
Vermont32.3%63.8%3.9%369,422
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 Berkshire

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Berkshire.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Vermont HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Vermont SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Vermont

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

Next door

How Berkshire compares with the towns next door

Berkshire spent $390 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $662. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Franklin$662$3,384
Enosburghestimate$3,624
Richfordestimate$3,300
Berkshire$390$3,545

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 Berkshire’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Berkshire’s government

How much does Berkshire spend per resident?

About $390 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 $390 was less than 90% of 83 Vermont towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Berkshire?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,545 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.45% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.59% across Vermont. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.

Who runs Berkshire’s government?

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

How did Berkshire vote in 2024?

For president, Donald J Trump 61.8%, Kamala D Harris 35.3% (778 votes, official results). Franklin County: Harris 49.7%, Trump 46.7%. Vermont: Harris 63.8%, Trump 32.3%.

How many people work for Berkshire?

4 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $25,915 (about $310,980 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Berkshire in the state legislature?

State Senate District Franklin (Bob Norris and Randy Brock) and State House District Franklin-5 (Lisa Hango and Wayne Laroche). The House district also covers three neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

When is town meeting in Berkshire?

Most Vermont towns vote on the first Tuesday in March (March 2, 2027). Some hold the business session on another day or vote by ballot (SB2), so check the town’s own site for Berkshire’s own dates.

Ask neighbors about Berkshire’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 →