Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0Bethune spent less per resident in 2022 than 98% of similar cities
Bethune’s town government spent $29,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $123 per resident. Water and other utilities ($37,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Bethune is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$123 per resident in 2022: less than 98% of them
Bethune’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($123 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 150 Colorado cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $998, and the middle half spent $626–$1,753. Bethune spent less than 98% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($8,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Colorado cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bethune itself left out).
About $123 per resident a year, or $0.34 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 45%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Bethune reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $531 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.42% 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 Bethune’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 Bethune’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bethune →
Who’s in charge in Bethune
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Bethune School District R-5
Bethune’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $23,027 per pupil, $12,645 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.
Bethune’s votes are counted by county
Colorado reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Bethune alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Kit Carson County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican83.4%3,083 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat15.0%556 votesOthers: 1.6% (59 votes).
Most votes in Kit Carson County: Donald J Trump
Colorado: Harris 54.1%, Trump 43.1%
100% of Bethune lies in Kit Carson County. Every 2024 race in Kit Carson County is on the county’s page.
Kit Carson 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 Bethune.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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.
Reach Bethune’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Bethune’s government
How much does Bethune spend per resident?
About $123 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 $123 was less than 98% of 150 Colorado cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bethune?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $531 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.42% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across Colorado. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Bethune’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bethune yet.
How did Bethune vote in 2024?
Colorado counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Bethune alone. Kit Carson County, where 100% of Bethune lies, voted Trump 83.4%, Harris 15.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Bethune?
0 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $2,952 (about $35,424 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bethune in the state legislature?
State Senate District 35 (Rod Pelton) and State House District 56 (Chris Richardson). The House district also covers 19 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bethune’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 →