Borough government · Delaware County, PA

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2021), Swarthmore took in $5.9 million and spent $6.0 million.

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

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Where it comes from

Borough taxes45%Fees for services (sewer, garbage collection)42%Federal tax money5.7%State tax money5.0%Fines and other2.7%County and local tax money0.1%

What stands out

36%

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

Borough taxes45%

Property tax
36%$2.1 million
Other taxes
8.5%$497 thousand
What's in other taxesReal estate and stock transfer taxes; occupation and business licenses and 1 more
  • Real estate and stock transfer taxes$277 thousand
  • Occupation and business licenses$128 thousand
  • Public utility licenses$92 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services42%

Fees for services
42%$2.5 million
What's in fees for servicesSewer; garbage collection and 4 more
  • Sewer$1.2 million
  • Garbage collection$623 thousand
  • Other service charges$550 thousand
  • Parking$47 thousand
  • Parks and recreation$37 thousand
  • Road charges$10 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money5.7%

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

From the federal government
5.7%$332 thousand

State tax money5.0%

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

From the state
5.0%$291 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%$8 thousand

Fines and other2.7%

Interest, rents and other
2.2%$130 thousand
Fines
0.4%$26 thousand

Where it goes

Police, fire, courts and jails29%Water, sewer, trash and utilities27%Running the government and other costs27%Roads, transit and parking9.1%Parks, recreation and libraries6.5%All other spending1.1%

What stands out

29%

of Swarthmore's spending goes to police, fire, courts and jails.A typical U.S. city, town or village of under 10,000 people spends 11%.

Spending by category100%

Police, fire, courts and jails
29%$1.8 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; fire protection and 1 more
  • Police$1.4 million
  • Fire protection$363 thousand
  • Courts and legal services$35 thousand
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
27%$1.6 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesSewer systems and garbage and solid waste
  • Sewer systems$989 thousand
  • Garbage and solid waste$644 thousand
Running the government and other costs
27%$1.6 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; finance, tax collection and budgeting and 2 more
  • Other and not broken out$657 thousand
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$453 thousand
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$281 thousand
  • Government buildings$187 thousand
Roads, transit and parking
9.1%$541 thousand
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$541 thousand
Parks, recreation and libraries
6.5%$385 thousand
What's in parks, recreation and librariesLibraries and parks and recreation
  • Libraries$195 thousand
  • Parks and recreation$190 thousand
Interest on debt
0.6%$37 thousand
Housing and community development
0.4%$26 thousand
Health and hospitals
<0.1%$2 thousand
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$2 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Borough of Swarthmore. 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 Swarthmore 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.