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Town Hall · Merrill

How is Merrill run?

Merrill’s city government spent $719,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $994 per resident. Water and other utilities ($85,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Today

General election in Iowa.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$719,000
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$994
In 2022: $994, more than 59% of 802 similar cities
Long-term debt
$1.4M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
2
full-time · 7 part-time · March payroll $15,869
Typical tax bill
$1,492
0.90% of home value · IA 1.39%

What stands out about how Merrill is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Runs its own water & sewer25% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Le Mars Community School District with 4 other towns.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $1,492 a year: 0.90% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.
★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $994 per resident a year, or $2.72 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 16%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 22%Property taxes 18%Interest, fines & other 16%From other local governments 12%Sales taxes 10%From the state 9%Utility sales 8%From the federal government 5%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $55,000; payments to other governments $32,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $891,000.
Compared with similar places

$994 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

Merrill’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($994 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 $632–$1,190. Merrill spent more than 59% of them.

Middle half of the group, $632–$1,190Median $900Merrill

Includes sewer and trash ($116,000), 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
802

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

Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,492 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.90% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Iowa$2,897
Merrill$1,492
$1,492
typical bill a year
0.90%
effective rate
$166,100
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Merrill

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

Check Merrill’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Merrill yet.
Who works for Merrill

One full-time city employee for every 362 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 (723).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings1 + 7 pt
Police1
2
full-time
7
part-time
$15,869
payroll for March 2022
$190,428
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$55,600
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
1
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Merrill had 2.8 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 648 of the 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 2.8: Merrill had fewer than 50% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Le Mars Community School District

Merrill’s K–12 school district, shared with Brunsville, Craig, Le Mars, Struble. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Merrill →
$11,962
per pupil · IA $13,713
2,268
students
$3.9 million
long-term debt

Of the $11,962 per pupil, $8,223 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 58%Federal 5%

Iowa districts overall: 43% local, 49% state, 8% federal.

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Merrill’s votes are counted by county

Iowa reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Merrill alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Plymouth County’s results.

President · Plymouth County’s results13,931 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican76.5%10,661 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat22.3%3,104 votes

Others: 1.2% (166 votes).

Most votes in Plymouth County: Donald J Trump

Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

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

Plymouth 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 Merrill

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Merrill.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Iowa HouseState representatives
    Travis Sitzmann
  3. 3
    Iowa SenateState senator
    Kevin Alons
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Kim Reynolds
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Randy Feenstra
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Iowa
    Chuck GrassleyJoni Ernst

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

Reach Merrill’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Merrill’s government

How much does Merrill spend per resident?

About $994 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 $994 was more than 59% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Merrill?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,492 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.90% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.

Who runs Merrill’s government?

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

How did Merrill vote in 2024?

Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Merrill alone. Plymouth County, where 100% of Merrill lies, voted Trump 76.5%, Harris 22.3% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Merrill?

2 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $15,869 (about $190,428 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Merrill in the state legislature?

State Senate District 7 (Kevin Alons) and State House District 13 (Travis Sitzmann). The House district also covers 30 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Merrill’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 →