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Merino, ColoradoPhoto: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0
Town Hall · Merino

Merino spent less per resident in 2022 than 67% of similar cities

Merino’s town government spent $194,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $690 per resident. Water and other utilities ($65,000) are counted separately.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$194,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$690
In 2022: $690, less than 67% of 150 similar cities
Long-term debt
$254,000
end of 2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
0
full-time · 8 part-time · March payroll $6,412
Typical tax bill
$600
0.32% of home value · CO 0.48%

What stands out about how Merino is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Spends less than most similar citiesIn 2022: $690 per resident, less than 67% of 150 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer32% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $600 a year: 0.32% of the home’s value, vs 0.48% across Colorado.
Compared with similar places

$690 per resident in 2022: less than 67% of them

Merino’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($690 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 $624–$1,753. Merino spent less than 67% of them.

Middle half of the group, $624–$1,753Median $998Merino

Includes sewer and trash ($19,000), 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
150

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

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $690 per resident a year, or $1.89 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: fire, at 27%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 35%Utility sales 35%From the federal government 11%Property taxes 8%Other taxes & licenses 5%Sales taxes 4%Interest, fines & other 3%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $11,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $270,000.
About “Other”.51% of Merino’s day-to-day spending ($99,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $600 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.32% of the home’s value, vs 0.48% across Colorado.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Colorado$2,602
Merino$600
$600
typical bill a year
0.32%
effective rate
$185,900
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Merino

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

Check Merino’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Merino yet.
The school district

Buffalo School District RE-4

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

Schools in Merino →
$15,842
per pupil · CO $15,889
322
students
$570,000
long-term debt

Of the $15,842 per pupil, $8,512 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 37%State 61%Federal 3%

Colorado districts overall: 55% local, 37% state, 8% federal.

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Merino’s votes are counted by county

Colorado reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Merino alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Logan County’s results.

President · Logan County’s results10,166 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican77.3%7,855 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat20.6%2,098 votes

Others: 2.1% (213 votes).

Most votes in Logan County: Donald J Trump

Colorado: Harris 54.1%, Trump 43.1%

The county’s page

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

Logan 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 Merino

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Merino.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Colorado HouseState representatives
    Dusty Johnson
  3. 3
    Colorado SenateState senator
    Byron Pelton
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Jared Polis
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Lauren Boebert
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Colorado
    Michael F. BennetJohn W. Hickenlooper

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

Reach Merino’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Merino’s government

How much does Merino spend per resident?

About $690 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 $690 was less than 67% of 150 Colorado cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Merino?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $600 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.32% 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 Merino’s government?

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

How did Merino vote in 2024?

Colorado counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Merino alone. Logan County, where 100% of Merino lies, voted Trump 77.3%, Harris 20.6% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Merino?

0 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $6,412 (about $76,944 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Merino in the state legislature?

State Senate District 1 (Byron Pelton) and State House District 63 (Dusty Johnson). The House district also covers 26 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Merino’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 →