Photo: Billwhittaker at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Cotter spent less per resident in 2022 than 99% of similar cities
Cotter’s city government spent $8,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $190 per resident.
What stands out about how Cotter is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$190 per resident in 2022: less than 99% of them
Cotter’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($190 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $900, and the middle half spent $634–$1,190. Cotter spent less than 99% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Cotter itself left out).
About $190 per resident a year, or $0.52 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 50%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Cotter reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
Who’s in charge in Cotter
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Columbus Community School District
Cotter’s K–12 school district, shared with Columbus City, Columbus Junction, Conesville, Fredonia. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,602 per pupil, $9,150 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.
Iowa districts overall: 43% local, 49% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Cotter’s votes are counted by county
Iowa reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Cotter alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Louisa County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican69.8%3,584 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat28.8%1,480 votesOthers: 1.4% (72 votes).
Most votes in Louisa County: Donald J Trump
Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%
100% of Cotter lies in Louisa County. Every 2024 race in Louisa County is on the county’s page.
Louisa 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 Cotter.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Iowa HouseState representatives
- 3Iowa SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Iowa
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Cotter’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Cotter’s government
How much does Cotter spend per resident?
About $190 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $190 was less than 99% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Cotter’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Cotter yet.
How did Cotter vote in 2024?
Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Cotter alone. Louisa County, where 100% of Cotter lies, voted Trump 69.8%, Harris 28.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Cotter?
0 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $679 (about $8,148 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Cotter in the state legislature?
State Senate District 48 (Mark Lofgren) and State House District 95 (Taylor Collins). The House district also covers 19 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Cotter’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 →