Town government · Hancock County, ME

Mount Desert's money: where it comes from and where it goes

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Mount Desert took in $18.9 million and spent $18.4 million.

Latest recorded year: ended June 30, 2024Estimated by the U.S. Census BureauComes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

Town taxes89%Fees for services (parks, land and natural resources, parking)5.3%State tax money3.3%Fines and other2.2%County and local tax money0.5%Federal tax money0.1%

What stands out

88%

of Mount Desert's money comes from property tax.A typical U.S. township or town of under 10,000 people gets 52%.

Town taxes89%

Property tax
88%$16.7 million
Other taxes
<0.1%$14 thousand
What's in other taxesOther licenses
  • Other licenses$14 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services5.3%

Fees for services
5.3%$999 thousand
What's in fees for servicesParks, land and natural resources; other service charges and 4 more
  • Parks, land and natural resources$674 thousand
  • Other service charges$273 thousand
  • Parking$43 thousand
  • Garbage collection$7 thousand
  • School lunches$1 thousand
  • Sewer$1 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money0.1%

Grants from Washington, paid for by the federal taxes residents also pay.

From the federal government
0.1%$26 thousand

State tax money3.3%

Money the state passes on, paid for by the state taxes residents also pay.

From the state
3.3%$630 thousand

County and local tax money0.5%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments
0.5%$99 thousand

Fines and other2.2%

Interest, rents and other
2.2%$420 thousand

Where it goes

Police, fire, courts and jails29%Schools and colleges27%Running the government and other costs11%Roads, transit and parking11%Water, sewer, trash and utilities11%All other spending10%

What stands out

27%

of Mount Desert's spending goes to schools and colleges.Most U.S. townships and towns of under 10,000 people spend nothing on this.

Spending by category100%

Police, fire, courts and jails
29%$5.3 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsFire protection; police and 1 more
  • Fire protection$3.7 million
  • Police$1.5 million
  • Inspections and regulation$194 thousand
Schools and colleges
27%$5.0 million
What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools
  • Elementary and secondary schools$5.0 million
Running the government and other costs
11%$2.1 million
What's in running the government and other costsCentral staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology); finance, tax collection and budgeting and 2 more
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$632 thousand
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$606 thousand
  • Other and not broken out$587 thousand
  • Government buildings$258 thousand
Roads, transit and parking
11%$2.1 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$2.1 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
11%$2.0 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesSewer systems and garbage and solid waste
  • Sewer systems$1.2 million
  • Garbage and solid waste$771 thousand
Environment and natural resources
4.0%$736 thousand
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$736 thousand
Interest on debt
3.8%$701 thousand
Parks, recreation and libraries
1.9%$349 thousand
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$314 thousand
  • Libraries$35 thousand
Social services
0.7%$132 thousand
What's in social servicesWelfare institutions
  • Welfare institutions$132 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Town of Mount Desert. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended June 30, 2024. Most of this government's figures were estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau from a sample; the government did not report them itself.

What this covers. The money of Town of Mount Desert itself. Other governments that serve the same area (the city, county, school district and state) are separate and not included. Borrowing, transfers between a government's own funds, and pension trust funds are not counted as revenue.