Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0Basalt spent more per resident in 2022 than 68% of similar cities
Basalt’s town government spent $8.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,956 per resident. Water and other utilities ($676,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Basalt is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,956 per resident in 2022: more than 68% of them
Basalt’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,956 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 54 Colorado cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,506, and the middle half spent $1,045–$2,154. Basalt spent more than 68% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Colorado cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Basalt itself left out).
About $1,956 per resident a year, or $5.36 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 57%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Basalt reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $5,877 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.50% of the home’s value, vs 0.48% across Colorado.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Basalt’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.
Tax bills are one input to Basalt’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Basalt →
Who’s in charge in Basalt
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Basalt’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on basalt.net ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 107 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 (4,183).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Roaring Fork School District RE-1
Basalt’s K–12 school district, shared with Carbondale, Glenwood Springs, Snowmass Village. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,260 per pupil, $10,440 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.
Colorado districts overall: 55% local, 37% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Basalt’s votes are counted by county
Colorado reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Basalt alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Eagle County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat60.9%16,943 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican36.5%10,148 votesOthers: 2.6% (714 votes).
Most votes in Eagle County: Kamala D Harris
Colorado: Harris 54.1%, Trump 43.1%
73% of Basalt lies in Eagle County; the rest in Pitkin County. Every 2024 race in Eagle County is on the county’s page.
Eagle County’s 2024 results →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.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Basalt.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: basalt.net ↗
- 2Colorado HouseState representatives
- 3Colorado SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Colorado
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Basalt compares with the towns next door
Basalt spent $1,956 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Basalt | $1,956 | $5,877 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Basalt’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Basalt’s government
How much does Basalt spend per resident?
About $1,956 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 $1,956 was more than 68% of 54 Colorado cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Basalt?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,877 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.50% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across Colorado. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see basalt.net.
Who runs Basalt’s government?
See basalt.net for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Basalt yet.
How did Basalt vote in 2024?
Colorado counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Basalt alone. Eagle County, where 73% of Basalt lies, voted Harris 60.9%, Trump 36.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Basalt?
39 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $285,588 (about $3.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Basalt in the state legislature?
State Senate District 5 (Marc Catlin) and State House District 57 (Elizabeth Velasco). The House district also covers nine other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Basalt’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
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 →