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Arcola IL E Main StPhoto: Daniel Schwen · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Arcola

How is Arcola run?

Arcola’s city government spent $2.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $859 per resident. Water and other utilities ($789,000) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Illinois.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$2.4M
year to April 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$859
In 2022: $859, less than 54% of 166 similar cities
Long-term debt
$1.8M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
14
full-time · 9 part-time · March payroll $54,924
Typical tax bill
$2,426
1.95% of home value · IL 2.01%

What stands out about how Arcola is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Runs its own water & sewer33% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Arcola Consolidated Unit School District 306 with 4 other towns.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $2,426 a year: 1.95% of the home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois.
★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $859 per resident a year, or $2.35 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 22%.

Where the money comes from
From the state 32%Property taxes 28%Utility sales 20%Fees & charges 8%Interest, fines & other 5%From the federal government 4%Sales taxes 3%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $546,000; interest on debt $43,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $3.8 million.
About “Other”.29% of Arcola’s day-to-day spending ($711,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Compared with similar places

$859 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

Arcola’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($859 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 166 Illinois cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $884, and the middle half spent $696–$1,158. Arcola spent less than 54% of them.

Middle half of the group, $696–$1,158Median $884Arcola

Includes sewer and trash ($275,000), 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
166

Illinois cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Arcola itself left out).

Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,426 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.95% of the home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Illinois$5,298
Arcola$2,426
$2,426
typical bill a year
1.95%
effective rate
$124,100
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Arcola’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.

Tax bills are one input to Arcola’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Arcola →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Arcola

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

See arcola-il.org for Arcola’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Arcola yet.arcola-il.org ↗
Agendas

Arcola’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on arcola-il.org ↗.

Who works for Arcola

One full-time city employee for every 203 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 (2,838).

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

Police7 + 4 pt
Administration & buildings3 + 3 pt
Roads & transportation2 + 2 pt
Sewer & trash1
Water & other utilities1
14
full-time
9
part-time
$54,924
payroll for March 2022
$659,088
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$44,500
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
6
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Arcola had 4.9 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 135 of the 166 Illinois cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 5.4: Arcola had fewer than 60% 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

Arcola Consolidated Unit School District 306

Arcola’s K–12 school district, shared with Arcola Township, Bowdre Township, Bourbon Township, Humboldt Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Arcola →
$18,130
per pupil · IL $21,567
701
students
$3.4 million
long-term debt

Of the $18,130 per pupil, $10,969 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 45%State 48%Federal 7%

Illinois districts overall: 52% local, 38% state, 10% federal.

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Arcola’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Douglas County’s results8,454 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican71.9%6,076 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat26.0%2,198 votes

Others: 2.1% (180 votes).

Most votes in Douglas County: Donald J Trump

Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%

The county’s page

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

Douglas 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 Arcola

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Arcola.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: arcola-il.org ↗
  2. 2
    Illinois HouseState representatives
    Chris Miller
  3. 3
    Illinois SenateState senator
    Chapin Rose
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    J. B. Pritzker
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Mary E. Miller
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Illinois
    Richard J. DurbinTammy Duckworth

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

Reach Arcola’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →
Official websitearcola-il.org ↗

Questions about Arcola’s government

How much does Arcola spend per resident?

About $859 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $859 was less than 54% of 166 Illinois cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Arcola?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,426 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.95% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see arcola-il.org.

Who runs Arcola’s government?

See arcola-il.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Arcola yet.

How did Arcola vote in 2024?

Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Arcola alone. Douglas County, where 100% of Arcola lies, voted Trump 71.9%, Harris 26.0% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Arcola?

14 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $54,924 (about $659,088 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Arcola in the state legislature?

State Senate District 51 (Chapin Rose) and State House District 101 (Chris Miller). The House district also covers 81 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Arcola’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 →