Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Lacon

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
Lacon 1091Photo: ProfDEH · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Lacon

Lacon spent more per resident in 2022 than 81% of similar cities

Lacon’s city government spent $1.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $772 per resident. Water and other utilities ($341,000) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Illinois.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$1.3M
year to April 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$772
In 2022: $772, more than 81% of 637 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
7
full-time · 15 part-time · March payroll $37,983
Typical tax bill
$2,481
2.04% of home value · IL 2.01%

What stands out about how Lacon is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $772 per resident, more than 81% of 637 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer21% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Midland Community Unit School District 7 with 6+ other towns.Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $2,481 a year: 2.04% of the home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois.
Compared with similar places

$772 per resident in 2022: more than 81% of them

Lacon’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($772 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. Lacon spent more than 81% of them.

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

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; Lacon itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $772 per resident a year, or $2.12 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 27%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 33%From the state 33%Utility sales 22%Interest, fines & other 8%Fees & charges 4%Other taxes & licenses 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $427,000; interest on debt $2,000; payments to other governments $21,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $2.1 million.
About “Other”.44% of Lacon’s day-to-day spending ($588,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,481 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.04% of the home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Illinois$5,298
Lacon$2,481
$2,481
typical bill a year
2.04%
effective rate
$121,900
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Lacon

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

See laconcity.com for Lacon’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Lacon yet.laconcity.com ↗
Agendas

Lacon’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on laconcity.com ↗.

Who works for Lacon

One full-time city employee for every 245 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 (1,713).

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

Police4 + 3 pt
Administration & buildings0 + 10 pt
Sewer & trash1 + 1 pt
Roads & transportation1
Water & other utilities1
Other0 + 1 pt
7
full-time
15
part-time
$37,983
payroll for March 2022
$455,796
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$47,800
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
4
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Lacon had 4.1 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 2.1: Lacon had more than 68% 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

Midland Community Unit School District 7

Lacon’s K–12 school district, shared with Hopewell, Lacon Township, Sparland, Varna, Steuben Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Lacon →
$12,797
per pupil · IL $21,567
675
students
$7.1 million
long-term debt

Of the $12,797 per pupil, $7,019 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 57%State 40%Federal 4%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Lacon’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Marshall County’s results6,154 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican66.9%4,119 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat31.1%1,913 votes

Others: 2.0% (122 votes).

Most votes in Marshall County: Donald J Trump

Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%

The county’s page

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

Marshall 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 Lacon

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Lacon.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: laconcity.com ↗
  2. 2
    Illinois HouseState representatives
    Dennis Tipsword
  3. 3
    Illinois SenateState senator
    Chris Balkema
  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 Lacon’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →
Official websitelaconcity.com ↗

Questions about Lacon’s government

How much does Lacon spend per resident?

About $772 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 $772 was more than 81% of 637 Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Lacon?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,481 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.04% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see laconcity.com.

Who runs Lacon’s government?

See laconcity.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Lacon yet.

How did Lacon vote in 2024?

Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lacon alone. Marshall County, where 100% of Lacon lies, voted Trump 66.9%, Harris 31.1% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Lacon?

7 full-time and 15 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $37,983 (about $455,796 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Lacon in the state legislature?

State Senate District 53 (Chris Balkema) and State House District 105 (Dennis Tipsword). The House district also covers 98 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Lacon’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 →