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Cotter Bridge, Baxter County, ArkansasPhoto: Archedamian · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Cotter

Cotter spent more per resident in 2022 than 90% of similar cities

Cotter’s city government spent $878,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $918 per resident. Water and other utilities ($281,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Today

General election in Arkansas.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$878,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$918
In 2022: $918, more than 90% of 181 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2022
6
full-time · 10 part-time · March payroll $30,328
Typical tax bill
$1,042
0.54% of home value · AR 0.55%

What stands out about how Cotter is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $918 per resident, more than 90% of 181 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer40% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Cotter School District with 1 other town.
Compared with similar places

$918 per resident in 2022: more than 90% of them

Cotter’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($918 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 181 Arkansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $353, and the middle half spent $179–$636. Cotter spent more than 90% of them.

Middle half of the group, $179–$636Median $353Cotter

Includes sewer and trash ($180,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
181

Arkansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Cotter itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $918 per resident a year, or $2.52 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 67%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 44%Utility sales 15%Fees & charges 14%Interest, fines & other 9%From the state 7%Sales taxes 6%From other local governments 3%From the federal government 1%Other taxes & licenses 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $186,000; interest on debt $10,000; payments to other governments $63,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $1.4 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

Cotter reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,042 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.54% of the home’s value, vs 0.55% across Arkansas.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Cotter$1,042
Arkansas$1,040
$1,042
typical bill a year
0.54%
effective rate
$193,100
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Cotter’s rate.

Can I afford it? →

The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.

Tax bills are one input to Cotter’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Cotter →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Cotter

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

Check Cotter’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Cotter yet.
Who works for Cotter

One full-time city employee for every 159 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (956).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings3 + 8 pt
Police2
Roads & transportation0 + 2 pt
Water & other utilities1
6
full-time
10
part-time
$30,328
payroll for March 2022
$363,936
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$39,500
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
2
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Cotter had 6.3 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 146 of the 181 Arkansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 4.7: Cotter had more than 59% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Cotter School District

Cotter’s K–12 school district, shared with Gassville. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Cotter →
$13,719
per pupil · AR $13,585
677
students
$4.5 million
long-term debt

Of the $13,719 per pupil, $8,275 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 12%State 73%Federal 15%

Arkansas districts overall: 16% local, 70% state, 14% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Cotter’s votes are counted by county

Arkansas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Cotter alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Baxter County’s results.

President · Baxter County’s results20,954 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican77.6%16,253 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat20.7%4,341 votes

Others: 1.7% (360 votes).

Most votes in Baxter County: Donald J Trump

Arkansas: Trump 64.2%, Harris 33.6%

The county’s page

100% of Cotter lies in Baxter County. Every 2024 race in Baxter County is on the county’s page.

Baxter County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.

Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.

Who represents Cotter

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Cotter.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Arkansas HouseState representatives
    Jason Nazarenko
  3. 3
    Arkansas SenateState senator
    Scott Flippo
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Sarah Huckabee Sanders
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Eric A. "Rick" Crawford
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Arkansas
    John BoozmanTom Cotton

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Cotter’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Cotter’s government

How much does Cotter spend per resident?

About $918 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $918 was more than 90% of 181 Arkansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Cotter?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,042 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.54% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.55% across Arkansas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.

Who runs Cotter’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Cotter yet.

How did Cotter vote in 2024?

Arkansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Cotter alone. Baxter County, where 100% of Cotter lies, voted Trump 77.6%, Harris 20.7% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Cotter?

6 full-time and 10 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $30,328 (about $363,936 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Cotter in the state legislature?

State Senate District 23 (Scott Flippo) and State House District 4 (Jason Nazarenko). The House district also covers nine other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Cotter’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →