City government · Luzerne County, PA

Wilkes Barre's money: where it comes from and where it goes

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2021), Wilkes Barre took in $72.6 million and spent $88.1 million.

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

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Where it comes from

City taxes46%Federal tax money22%Fees for services (garbage collection, sewer)15%State tax money15%Fines and other2.3%

What stands out

21%

of Wilkes Barre's money comes from a personal income tax.Most U.S. cities of 10,000 to 50,000 people get none.

City taxes46%

Individual income tax
21%$15.0 million
Property tax
17%$12.6 million
Other taxes
7.6%$5.5 million
What's in other taxesOccupation and business licenses; real estate and stock transfer taxes and 1 more
  • Occupation and business licenses$2.9 million
  • Real estate and stock transfer taxes$2.4 million
  • Public utility licenses$164 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services15%

Fees for services
15%$11.2 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges; garbage collection and 4 more
  • Other service charges$5.2 million
  • Garbage collection$3.1 million
  • Sewer$2.0 million
  • Parking$451 thousand
  • Road charges$410 thousand
  • Parks and recreation$87 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money22%

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

From the federal government
22%$15.8 million

State tax money15%

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

From the state
15%$10.8 million

County and local tax money<0.1%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments
<0.1%$4 thousand

Fines and other2.3%

Interest, rents and other
1.7%$1.2 million
Fines
0.6%$433 thousand

Where it goes

Running the government and other costs43%Police, fire, courts and jails24%Housing and community development8.5%Roads, transit and parking7.5%Water, sewer, trash and utilities6.2%All other spending11%

What stands out

8.5%

of Wilkes Barre's spending goes to housing and community development.Most U.S. cities of 10,000 to 50,000 people spend nothing on this.

Spending by category100%

Running the government and other costs
43%$37.7 million
What's in running the government and other costsFinance, tax collection and budgeting; other and not broken out and 3 more
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$28.6 million
  • Other and not broken out$5.1 million
  • Government buildings$2.6 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$1.3 million
  • Other government-run businesses$1 thousand
Police, fire, courts and jails
24%$21.3 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; fire protection and 2 more
  • Police$12.4 million
  • Fire protection$7.7 million
  • Inspections and regulation$891 thousand
  • Courts and legal services$320 thousand
Housing and community development
8.5%$7.5 million
Roads, transit and parking
7.5%$6.6 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways and parking
  • Roads and highways$5.9 million
  • Parking$704 thousand
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
6.2%$5.5 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste; sewer systems and 1 more
  • Garbage and solid waste$4.4 million
  • Sewer systems$715 thousand
  • Electric power$347 thousand
Health and hospitals
4.5%$3.9 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$3.9 million
Interest on debt
3.3%$2.9 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
1.8%$1.6 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$1.6 million
  • Libraries$20 thousand
Environment and natural resources
1.2%$1.1 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$1.1 million
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

City of Wilkes Barre. 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 City of Wilkes Barre 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.