Benjaminville Friends Meetinghouse and Burial Ground · Photo: See above. · CC BY 2.5In Dawson Township, 90% of adult citizens voted for president in 2024, more than across Illinois
Dawson Township’s town government spent $156,000 on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2022, about $262 per resident.
What stands out about how Dawson Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Tri-Valley Community Unit School District 3
Dawson Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Downs, Ellsworth, Old Town Township, Downs Township, Blue Mound Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,198 per pupil, $9,678 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.
Illinois districts overall: 52% local, 38% state, 10% federal.
Le Roy Community Unit School District 2 · $16,146 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $262 per resident a year, or $0.72 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 54%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$262 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
Dawson Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($262 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 860 Illinois towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $265, and the middle half spent $165–$397. Dawson Township spent less than 51% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Illinois towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Dawson Township itself left out).
No trend yet
Dawson Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,895 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.11% of the home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Dawson Township’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 Dawson Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Dawson Township →
Who’s in charge in Dawson Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
How Dawson Township voted in 2024
Official results for Dawson Township’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican71.8%273 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat25.3%96 votesOthers: 2.9% (11 votes).
Most votes in Dawson Township: Donald J Trump
McLean County: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.1% · Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
of Dawson Township’s 422 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Illinois: 62%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in the district: Darin Lahood
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Dawson Township, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson Township | 71.8% | 25.3% | 2.9% | 380 |
| McLean County | 46.1% | 50.9% | 3.1% | 87,469 |
| Illinois | 43.5% | 54.4% | 2.2% | 5,633,310 |
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 Dawson Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Illinois HouseState representatives
- 3Illinois SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Illinois
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Dawson Township compares with the towns next door
Dawson Township spent $262 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $87 to $238. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Empire Township | $87 | $3,855 |
| Old Town Township | $118 | $7,524 |
| Arrowsmith Township | $205 | $2,709 |
| Blue Mound Township | $238 | $4,091 |
| Dawson Township | $262 | $3,895 |
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 Dawson Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Dawson Township’s government
How much does Dawson Township spend per resident?
About $262 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $262 was less than 51% of 860 Illinois towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Dawson Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,895 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.11% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Dawson Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Dawson Township yet.
How did Dawson Township vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 71.8%, Kamala D Harris 25.3% (380 votes, official results). McLean County: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.1%. Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%.
How many people work for Dawson Township?
0 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $5,178 (about $62,136 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Dawson Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 44 (Sally Turner) and State House District 88 (Regan Deering). The House district also covers 74 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Dawson Township’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 →