Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Ashton

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Ashton IL USA Spring 2009Photo: Uoila1 · Public domain
Town Hall · Ashton

Ashton spent more per resident in 2022 than 77% of similar cities

Ashton’s village government spent $651,000 on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $741 per resident. Water and other utilities ($228,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Today

General election in Illinois.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$651,000
year to April 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$741
In 2022: $741, more than 77% of 637 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of FY2022, reported
Village staff, 2022
1
full-time · 24 part-time · March payroll $22,147
Typical tax bill
$2,310
2.02% of home value · IL 2.01%

What stands out about how Ashton is run

Read from the village’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $741 per resident, more than 77% of 637 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer31% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Ashton-Franklin Center CUSD 275 with 6+ other towns.Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $2,310 a year: 2.02% of the home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois.
Compared with similar places

$741 per resident in 2022: more than 77% of them

Ashton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($741 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 637 Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $501, and the middle half spent $342–$713. Ashton spent more than 77% of them.

Middle half of the group, $342–$713Median $501Ashton

Includes sewer and trash ($53,000), 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
637

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

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $741 per resident a year, or $2.03 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 39%.

Where the money comes from
From the state 44%Fees & charges 25%Property taxes 12%Utility sales 9%Interest, fines & other 7%Other taxes & licenses 3%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $9,000; interest on debt $34,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $941,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,310 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.02% of the home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Illinois$5,298
Ashton$2,310
$2,310
typical bill a year
2.02%
effective rate
$114,200
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Ashton

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

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

One full-time village employee for every 878 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 (878).

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

Administration & buildings1 + 8 pt
Police0 + 7 pt
Roads & transportation0 + 4 pt
Parks & libraries0 + 4 pt
Other0 + 1 pt
1
full-time
24
part-time
$22,147
payroll for March 2022
$265,764
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$83,700
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Ashton had 1.1 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 472 of the 637 Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 2.2: Ashton had fewer than 58% 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

Ashton-Franklin Center CUSD 275

Ashton’s K–12 school district, shared with Ashton Township, Franklin Grove, Bradford Township, Franklin Grove Township, Lafayette Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Ashton →
$18,678
per pupil · IL $21,567
459
students
$8.4 million
long-term debt

Of the $18,678 per pupil, $11,403 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 66%State 28%Federal 6%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Ashton’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Lee County’s results16,194 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican59.8%9,680 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat37.7%6,105 votes

Others: 2.5% (409 votes).

Most votes in Lee County: Donald J Trump

Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%

The county’s page

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

Lee 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 Ashton

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Ashton.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Illinois HouseState representatives
    Brad Fritts
  3. 3
    Illinois SenateState senator
    Li Arellano
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    J. B. Pritzker
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Darin LaHood
  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 Ashton’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Ashton’s government

How much does Ashton spend per resident?

About $741 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 $741 was more than 77% of 637 Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Ashton?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,310 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.02% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the village’s assessor.

Who runs Ashton’s government?

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

How did Ashton vote in 2024?

Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Ashton alone. Lee County, where 100% of Ashton lies, voted Trump 59.8%, Harris 37.7% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Ashton?

1 full-time and 24 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $22,147 (about $265,764 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Ashton in the state legislature?

State Senate District 37 (Li Arellano) and State House District 74 (Brad Fritts). The House district also covers 82 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Ashton’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 →