Photo: Hogs555 · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Westcliffe run?
Westcliffe’s town government spent $588,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $850 per resident.
What stands out about how Westcliffe is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Custer County School District C-1
Westcliffe’s K–12 school district, shared with Silver Cliff. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,890 per pupil, $8,090 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.
About $850 per resident a year, or $2.33 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$850 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Westcliffe’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($850 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. Westcliffe spent less than 57% of 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; Westcliffe itself left out).
No trend yet
Westcliffe reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,218 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.36% 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 Westcliffe’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 Westcliffe’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Westcliffe →
Who’s in charge in Westcliffe
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Westcliffe’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofwestcliffe.com ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 138 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 (692).
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.
Westcliffe’s votes are counted by county
Colorado reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Westcliffe alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Custer County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican66.8%2,583 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat30.7%1,188 votesOthers: 2.5% (96 votes).
Most votes in Custer County: Donald J Trump
Colorado: Harris 54.1%, Trump 43.1%
100% of Westcliffe lies in Custer County. Every 2024 race in Custer County is on the county’s page.
Custer 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 Westcliffe.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofwestcliffe.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.
How Westcliffe compares with the towns next door
Westcliffe spent $850 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $753. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Silver Cliff | $753 | $827 |
| Westcliffe | $850 | $1,218 |
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 Westcliffe’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Westcliffe’s government
How much does Westcliffe spend per resident?
About $850 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 $850 was less than 57% of 150 Colorado cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Westcliffe?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,218 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.36% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across Colorado. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofwestcliffe.com.
Who runs Westcliffe’s government?
See townofwestcliffe.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Westcliffe yet.
How did Westcliffe vote in 2024?
Colorado counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Westcliffe alone. Custer County, where 100% of Westcliffe lies, voted Trump 66.8%, Harris 30.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Westcliffe?
5 full-time and 1 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $13,759 (about $165,108 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Westcliffe in the state legislature?
State Senate District 4 (Mark Baisley) and State House District 60 (Stephanie Luck). The House district also covers 10 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Westcliffe’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 →