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Town Hall · Ava

Ava spent more per resident in 2022 than 95% of similar cities

Ava’s city government spent $865,000 on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $1,418 per resident. Water and other utilities ($205,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Illinois.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$865,000
year to April 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,418
In 2022: $1,418, more than 95% of 637 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
2
full-time · 11 part-time · March payroll $11,674
Typical tax bill
$1,227
1.36% of home value · IL 2.01%

What stands out about how Ava is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$1,418 per resident in 2022: more than 95% of them

Ava’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,418 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. Ava spent more than 95% of them.

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

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; Ava itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,418 per resident a year, or $3.88 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: housing & development, at 57%.

Where the money comes from
From the federal government 39%Utility sales 19%From the state 18%Property taxes 10%Interest, fines & other 6%Sales taxes 4%Fees & charges 2%Other taxes & licenses 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $6,000; interest on debt $6,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $1.1 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,227 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.36% of the home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Illinois$5,298
Ora Township$2,592
Bradley Township$1,625
Ava$1,227
$1,227
typical bill a year
1.36%
effective rate
$90,500
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Ava

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 305 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 (610).

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

Administration & buildings0 + 10 pt
Roads & transportation1
Water & other utilities1
Fire0 + 1 pt
2
full-time
11
part-time
$11,674
payroll for March 2022
$140,088
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$34,900
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Ava had 3.3 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 2.1: Ava had more than 61% 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

Trico Community Unit School District 176

Ava’s K–12 school district, shared with Bradley Township, Campbell Hill, Cutler, Degognia Township, Kinkaid Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Ava →
$15,865
per pupil · IL $21,567
876
students
$3.9 million
long-term debt

Of the $15,865 per pupil, $8,677 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 30%State 61%Federal 9%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Ava’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Jackson County’s results22,716 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat50.2%11,394 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican46.7%10,614 votes

Others: 3.1% (708 votes).

Most votes in Jackson County: Kamala D Harris

Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%

The county’s page

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

Jackson 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 Ava

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Ava.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Illinois HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Illinois SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Illinois

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

Next door

How Ava compares with the towns next door

Ava spent $1,418 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $50. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Ora Township$50$2,592
Bradley Townshipestimate$1,625
Ava$1,418$1,227

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 Ava’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Ava’s government

How much does Ava spend per resident?

About $1,418 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 $1,418 was more than 95% of 637 Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Ava?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,227 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.36% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.

Who runs Ava’s government?

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

How did Ava vote in 2024?

Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Ava alone. Jackson County, where 100% of Ava lies, voted Harris 50.2%, Trump 46.7% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Ava?

2 full-time and 11 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $11,674 (about $140,088 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Ava in the state legislature?

State Senate District 58 (Terri Bryant) and State House District 115 (David Friess). The House district also covers 54 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Ava’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 →