Marblehead, FY2002–FY2024. Source: Massachusetts DOR Schedule A municipal expenditure reports, BLS CPI-U All Urban Consumers (US), and DOR per-capita income and population dataset.
"General government" is the budget category covering the select board, town administrator, finance department, town clerk, assessor, IT, legal, and treasurer/collector. It's a frequent target in override debates. By the state's own definition, Marblehead's general government has grown slightly slower than the rest of the town budget over the past 22 years, costs about $145 per resident per year in 2024 dollars, and sits at the bottom of a nine-town wealthy-suburb peer cohort.
Marblehead's general government spending grew from $1.73M in FY02 to $3.31M in FY24, a 92% increase. Total town expenditures grew 94% over the same period. The US CPI-U rose 74%. General government tracked total spending closely and slightly outpaced inflation.
Source: Massachusetts DOR Division of Local Services Schedule A (per-municipality expenditures by function) and BLS CPI-U. Local file: data/peer_schedule_a_expenditures.csv, data/cpi_us.csv.
Why this number is different from $6.89M
Marblehead's FY27 internal budget shows about $6.89M for "general government." This page shows $3.31M for FY24 because it uses the state DOR's Schedule A category, which classifies some functions Marblehead groups under general government locally (notably facilities and shared services) under different headings. The state definition is the only one that lets us compare 351 municipalities on the same line, so it's the basis for the long time series and the peer chart below. For the local FY27 figure see Where the money goes.
Adjusted for inflation and Marblehead's resident population each year, this is what general government cost the average Marblehead resident.
The 23-year mean is $145 per resident (2024 dollars). Real per-capita general government spending in FY24 was $161, within the band Marblehead has paid for the past two decades. CPI deflator: BLS CPI-U All Urban Consumers, calendar year matched to fiscal year. Population from data/demographics_FY01-24.csv.
Nine wealthy Massachusetts suburbs ranked by general government spending per resident in FY24. Same cohort used on this site's teacher compensation page.
Marblehead has the lowest general government spending per capita of the nine towns at $161 per resident. Lexington and Wellesley are the highest, both above $500 per resident. As a share of total town expenditures, Marblehead's general government is 3.3%, also the lowest of the cohort. Source: FY24 Schedule A divided by FY27 DOR-vintage population (towns' populations move under 2% over a few years; a small population revision would not change the rank order).