Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0Simla spent less per resident in 2022 than 97% of similar cities
Simla’s town government spent $96,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $139 per resident. Water and other utilities ($83,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Simla is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$139 per resident in 2022: less than 97% of them
Simla’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($139 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. Simla spent less than 97% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($83,000), 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; Simla itself left out).
About $139 per resident a year, or $0.38 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 86%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Simla reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
Who’s in charge in Simla
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Simla’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofsimla.com ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 99 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 (690).
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.
Big Sandy School District 100J
Simla’s K–12 school district, shared with Ramah. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,317 per pupil, $10,012 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.
Simla’s votes are counted by county
Colorado reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Simla alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Elbert County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican74.5%15,209 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat23.3%4,768 votesOthers: 2.2% (445 votes).
Most votes in Elbert County: Donald J Trump
Colorado: Harris 54.1%, Trump 43.1%
100% of Simla lies in Elbert County. Every 2024 race in Elbert County is on the county’s page.
Elbert 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 Simla.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofsimla.com ↗
- 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 Simla’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Simla’s government
How much does Simla spend per resident?
About $139 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 $139 was less than 97% of 150 Colorado cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Simla’s government?
See townofsimla.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Simla yet.
How did Simla vote in 2024?
Colorado counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Simla alone. Elbert County, where 100% of Simla lies, voted Trump 74.5%, Harris 23.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Simla?
7 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $28,412 (about $340,944 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Simla 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 Simla’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 →