Borough government · Somerset County, NJ

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2021), Watchung took in $43.3 million and spent $10.1 million.

Latest recorded year: ended December 31, 2021Comes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

Borough taxes92%Fees for services (sewer, parks and recreation)3.1%Fines and other2.1%State tax money1.8%Federal tax money0.7%County and local tax money0.1%

What stands out

92%

of Watchung's money comes from property tax.A typical U.S. city, town or village of under 10,000 people gets 15%.

Borough taxes92%

Property tax
92%$39.8 million
Other taxes
<0.1%$37 thousand
What's in other taxesOther licenses and alcoholic beverage licenses
  • Other licenses$19 thousand
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$18 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services3.1%

Fees for services
3.1%$1.4 million
What's in fees for servicesSewer and parks and recreation
  • Sewer$1.3 million
  • Parks and recreation$20 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money0.7%

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

From the federal government
0.7%$314 thousand

State tax money1.8%

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

From the state
1.8%$761 thousand

County and local tax money0.1%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments
0.1%$55 thousand

Fines and other2.1%

Interest, rents and other
2.0%$844 thousand
Fines
0.1%$62 thousand

Where it goes

The Census record for this side looks incomplete, so these figures may be lower than the government's own totals.

Police, fire, courts and jails48%Running the government and other costs25%Water, sewer, trash and utilities15%Interest on debt9.5%Parks, recreation and libraries1.3%All other spending1.9%

Spending by category100%

Police, fire, courts and jails
48%$4.8 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; inspections and regulation and 2 more
  • Police$4.0 million
  • Inspections and regulation$322 thousand
  • Courts and legal services$250 thousand
  • Fire protection$228 thousand
Running the government and other costs
25%$2.5 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology) and 2 more
  • Other and not broken out$1.2 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$680 thousand
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$414 thousand
  • Government buildings$170 thousand
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
15%$1.5 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesSewer systems and garbage and solid waste
  • Sewer systems$1.5 million
  • Garbage and solid waste$60 thousand
Interest on debt
9.5%$969 thousand
Parks, recreation and libraries
1.3%$134 thousand
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$124 thousand
  • Libraries$10 thousand
Health and hospitals
1.1%$116 thousand
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$116 thousand
Sent to other local governments
0.7%$68 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$68 thousand
Environment and natural resources
<0.1%$5 thousand
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$5 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Borough of Watchung. U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments, Finance, individual unit file, fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. The Census record for this government is from the 2022 survey, the newest on file.

What this covers. The money of Borough of Watchung 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.