Town government · Lincoln County, ME

Wiscasset's money: where it comes from and where it goes

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), Wiscasset took in $21.3 million and spent $22.0 million.

Latest recorded year: ended December 31, 2023Estimated by the U.S. Census BureauComes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

Town taxes52%State tax money24%Fees for services (sewer, parks and recreation)12%Fines and other8.5%County and local tax money3.6%

What stands out

12%

of Wiscasset's money comes from fees for services such as water, sewer and parking.Most U.S. townships and towns of under 10,000 people get none.

Town taxes52%

Property tax
52%$11.2 million
Other taxes
0.2%$42 thousand
What's in other taxesPublic utility taxes
  • Public utility taxes$42 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services12%

Fees for services
12%$2.5 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges; sewer and 7 more
  • Other service charges$1.1 million
  • Sewer$588 thousand
  • Parks and recreation$394 thousand
  • Garbage collection$226 thousand
  • Road charges$96 thousand
  • Airport$43 thousand
  • School tuition and transportation$35 thousand
  • Other government-run businesses$2 thousand
  • School lunches$2 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

State tax money24%

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

From the state
24%$5.0 million

County and local tax money3.6%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments
3.6%$777 thousand

Fines and other8.5%

Interest, rents and other
8.5%$1.8 million

Where it goes

Schools and colleges53%Running the government and other costs14%Roads, transit and parking11%Police, fire, courts and jails9.0%Water, sewer, trash and utilities7.4%All other spending5.4%

What stands out

53%

of Wiscasset'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%

Schools and colleges
53%$11.6 million
What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools
  • Elementary and secondary schools$11.6 million
Running the government and other costs
14%$3.2 million
What's in running the government and other costsCentral staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology); other and not broken out and 2 more
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$1.3 million
  • Other and not broken out$1.3 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$270 thousand
  • Government buildings$198 thousand
Roads, transit and parking
11%$2.4 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingAirports and roads and highways
  • Airports$1.8 million
  • Roads and highways$666 thousand
Police, fire, courts and jails
9.0%$2.0 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; fire protection and 1 more
  • Police$1.1 million
  • Fire protection$864 thousand
  • Inspections and regulation$37 thousand
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
7.4%$1.6 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesSewer systems and garbage and solid waste
  • Sewer systems$948 thousand
  • Garbage and solid waste$676 thousand
Parks, recreation and libraries
4.4%$964 thousand
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation
  • Parks and recreation$964 thousand
Social services
0.4%$98 thousand
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$98 thousand
Interest on debt
0.3%$68 thousand
Sent to other local governments
0.2%$35 thousand
What's in sent to other local governmentsSent to local governments: other and not broken out
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$35 thousand
Health and hospitals
<0.1%$19 thousand
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$19 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Town of Wiscasset. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended December 31, 2023. 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 Wiscasset 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.