Town government · Waukesha County, WI

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2021), Merton took in $4.8 million and spent $5.1 million.

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

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Where it comes from

Town taxes62%Fees for services (garbage collection, road charges)18%State tax money13%County and local tax money4.1%Fines and other2.7%

What stands out

18%

of Merton'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 taxes62%

Property tax
57%$2.8 million
Other taxes
5.4%$264 thousand
What's in other taxesOther licenses and occupation and business licenses
  • Other licenses$208 thousand
  • Occupation and business licenses$56 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services18%

Fees for services
18%$855 thousand
What's in fees for servicesGarbage collection; other service charges and 1 more
  • Garbage collection$788 thousand
  • Other service charges$58 thousand
  • Road charges$9 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money<0.1%

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

From the federal government
<0.1%$1 thousand

State tax money13%

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

From the state
13%$635 thousand

County and local tax money4.1%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments
4.1%$198 thousand

Fines and other2.7%

Interest, rents and other
2.1%$103 thousand
Fines
0.6%$29 thousand

Where it goes

Roads, transit and parking41%Water, sewer, trash and utilities15%Parks, recreation and libraries14%Police, fire, courts and jails13%Running the government and other costs9.5%All other spending7.9%

What stands out

15%

of Merton's spending goes to water, sewer, trash and other utilities.Most U.S. townships and towns of under 10,000 people spend nothing on this.

Spending by category100%

Roads, transit and parking
41%$2.1 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$2.1 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
15%$738 thousand
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste and sewer systems
  • Garbage and solid waste$730 thousand
  • Sewer systems$8 thousand
Parks, recreation and libraries
14%$699 thousand
What's in parks, recreation and librariesLibraries and parks and recreation
  • Libraries$691 thousand
  • Parks and recreation$8 thousand
Police, fire, courts and jails
13%$662 thousand
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsFire protection; police and 2 more
  • Fire protection$359 thousand
  • Police$219 thousand
  • Inspections and regulation$49 thousand
  • Courts and legal services$35 thousand
Running the government and other costs
9.5%$483 thousand
What's in running the government and other costsCentral staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology); finance, tax collection and budgeting and 3 more
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$331 thousand
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$110 thousand
  • Other and not broken out$21 thousand
  • Government buildings$20 thousand
  • Other government-run businesses$1 thousand
Health and hospitals
6.1%$311 thousand
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$311 thousand
Interest on debt
1.7%$88 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Town of Merton. 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 Town of Merton 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.