Photo: rboed* · CC BY 2.0Galena spent more per resident in 2022 than 93% of similar cities
Galena’s city government spent $5.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $1,844 per resident. Water and other utilities ($567,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Galena is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,844 per resident in 2022: more than 93% of them
Galena’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,844 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 $880, and the middle half spent $696–$1,154. Galena spent more than 93% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($964,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Illinois cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Galena itself left out).
About $1,844 per resident a year, or $5.05 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 33%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Galena reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $4,226 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.81% 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 Galena’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 Galena’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Galena →
Who’s in charge in Galena
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Galena’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofgalena.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 131 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 (3,151).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Galena Unit School District 120
Galena’s K–12 school district, shared with Rawlins Township, Vinegar Hill Township, West Galena Township, East Galena Township, Rice Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,684 per pupil, $11,683 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.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Galena’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Galena alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Jo Daviess County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican57.1%7,136 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat40.4%5,051 votesOthers: 2.5% (314 votes).
Most votes in Jo Daviess County: Donald J Trump
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of Galena lies in Jo Daviess County. Every 2024 race in Jo Daviess County is on the county’s page.
Jo Daviess County’s 2024 results →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 Galena.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofgalena.org ↗
- 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 Galena compares with the towns next door
Galena spent $1,844 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| West Galena Township | $113 | $4,367 |
| East Galena Township | $296 | $5,568 |
| Rawlins Township | $356 | $4,924 |
| Galena | $1,844 | $4,226 |
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 Galena’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Galena’s government
How much does Galena spend per resident?
About $1,844 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 $1,844 was more than 93% of 166 Illinois cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Galena?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,226 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.81% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofgalena.org.
Who runs Galena’s government?
See cityofgalena.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Galena yet.
How did Galena vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Galena alone. Jo Daviess County, where 100% of Galena lies, voted Trump 57.1%, Harris 40.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Galena?
24 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $142,666 (about $1.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Galena in the state legislature?
State Senate District 45 (Andrew Chesney) and State House District 89 (Tony McCombie). The House district also covers 115 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Galena’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 →