Gardner Township spent more per resident in 2022 than 95% of similar towns
Gardner Township’s town government spent $774,000 on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2022, about $188 per resident.
What stands out about how Gardner Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$188 per resident in 2022: more than 95% of them
Gardner Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($188 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 195 Illinois towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $87, and the middle half spent $62–$120. Gardner Township spent more than 95% 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Gardner Township itself left out).
About $188 per resident a year, or $0.52 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 78%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Gardner Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $4,816 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.93% 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 Gardner 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.
Tax bills are one input to Gardner Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Gardner Township →
Who’s in charge in Gardner Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Gardner Township’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on gardnertownshipil.squarespace.com ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 1,031 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 (4,123).
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.
Pleasant Plains Community Unit School District 8
Gardner Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Pleasant Plains, Cartwright Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,708 per pupil, $8,988 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.
Springfield School District 186 · $24,521 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Gardner Township voted in 2024
Official results for Gardner Township’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican64.8%1,775 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat33.0%903 votesOthers: 2.2% (61 votes).
Most votes in Gardner Township: Donald J Trump
Sangamon County: Trump 50.9%, Harris 46.0% · Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
of Gardner Township’s 3,565 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: Mary E Miller
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Gardner Township, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gardner Township | 64.8% | 33.0% | 2.2% | 2,739 |
| Sangamon County | 50.9% | 46.0% | 3.0% | 100,099 |
| 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 Gardner Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: gardnertownshipil.squarespace.com ↗
- 2Illinois HouseGardner Township is split between 2 districts
- 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 Gardner Township compares with the towns next door
Gardner Township spent $188 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $11 to $1,342. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Township | $11 | $3,387 |
| Fancy Creek Township | $103 | $6,274 |
| Springfield Township | $108 | $1,418 |
| Cartwright Township | $274 | $3,328 |
| Springfield | $1,342 | $3,362 |
| Gardner Township | $188 | $4,816 |
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 Gardner Township’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Gardner Township’s government
How much does Gardner Township spend per resident?
About $188 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 $188 was more than 95% of 195 Illinois towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Gardner Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,816 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.93% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see gardnertownshipil.squarespace.com.
Who runs Gardner Township’s government?
See gardnertownshipil.squarespace.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Gardner Township yet.
How did Gardner Township vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 64.8%, Kamala D Harris 33.0% (2,739 votes, official results). Sangamon County: Trump 50.9%, Harris 46.0%. Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%.
How many people work for Gardner Township?
4 full-time and 11 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $21,485 (about $257,820 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Gardner Township in the state legislature?
Gardner Township is split among 2 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Illinois Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Gardner 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 →