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Town Hall · Hartford

How is Hartford run?

Hartford’s city government spent $240,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $385 per resident. Water and other utilities ($38,000) are counted separately.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$240,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$385
In 2022: $385, more than 54% of 181 similar cities
Long-term debt
$750,000
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2022
4
full-time · 3 part-time · March payroll $10,875
Typical tax bill
$481
0.57% of home value · AR 0.55%

What stands out about how Hartford is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $385 per resident a year, or $1.05 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 34%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 26%From other local governments 23%Fees & charges 23%Sales taxes 17%From the state 5%Property taxes 4%Interest, fines & other 2%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $36,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $314,000.
Compared with similar places

$385 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

Hartford’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($385 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–$644. Hartford spent more than 54% of them.

Middle half of the group, $179–$644Median $353Hartford

Includes sewer and trash ($46,000), 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; Hartford itself left out).

Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $481 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.57% of the home’s value, vs 0.55% across Arkansas.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Arkansas$1,040
Hartford$481
$481
typical bill a year
0.57%
effective rate
$83,700
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Hartford’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 Hartford’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Hartford →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Hartford

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 156 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 (623).

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

Administration & buildings1 + 2 pt
Roads & transportation1
Police1
Water & other utilities1
Parks & libraries0 + 1 pt
4
full-time
3
part-time
$10,875
payroll for March 2022
$130,500
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$29,200
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
1
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Hartford had 6.4 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: Hartford had more than 60% 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

Hackett Public Schools

Hartford’s K–12 school district, shared with Hackett, Midland, Bonanza. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Hartford →
$13,236
per pupil · AR $13,585
780
students
$1.9 million
long-term debt

Of the $13,236 per pupil, $7,701 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 11%State 72%Federal 17%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Hartford’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Sebastian County’s results45,452 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican67.6%30,719 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat30.0%13,652 votes

Others: 2.4% (1,081 votes).

Most votes in Sebastian County: Donald J Trump

Arkansas: Trump 64.2%, Harris 33.6%

The county’s page

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

Sebastian 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 Hartford

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Hartford.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Arkansas HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Arkansas SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Arkansas

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

Reach Hartford’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Hartford’s government

How much does Hartford spend per resident?

About $385 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 $385 was more than 54% of 181 Arkansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Hartford?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $481 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.57% 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 Hartford’s government?

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

How did Hartford vote in 2024?

Arkansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Hartford alone. Sebastian County, where 100% of Hartford lies, voted Trump 67.6%, Harris 30.0% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Hartford?

4 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $10,875 (about $130,500 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Hartford in the state legislature?

State Senate District 5 (Terry Rice) and State House District 52 (Marcus Richmond). The House district also covers eight other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Hartford’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 →