Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Macon

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
Town Hall · Macon

How is Macon run?

Macon’s city government spent $638,000 on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $579 per resident. Water and other utilities ($318,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Illinois.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$638,000
year to April 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$579
In 2022: $579, more than 59% of 637 similar cities
Long-term debt
$417,000
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
4
full-time · 9 part-time · March payroll $16,004
Typical tax bill
$2,117
1.95% of home value · IL 2.01%

What stands out about how Macon is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Runs its own water & sewer33% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Meridian Community Unit School District 15 with 6+ other towns.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $2,117 a year: 1.95% of the home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois.
★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $579 per resident a year, or $1.59 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 34%.

Where the money comes from
From the state 36%Property taxes 33%Utility sales 23%Interest, fines & other 6%Sales taxes 1%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $19,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $975,000.
About “Other”.31% of Macon’s day-to-day spending ($199,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Compared with similar places

$579 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

Macon’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($579 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. Macon spent more than 59% of them.

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

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; Macon itself left out).

Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,117 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.95% of the home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Illinois$5,298
Macon$2,117
$2,117
typical bill a year
1.95%
effective rate
$108,600
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Macon

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 276 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 (1,102).

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

Administration & buildings1 + 9 pt
Roads & transportation1
Sewer & trash1
Water & other utilities1
4
full-time
9
part-time
$16,004
payroll for March 2022
$192,048
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$38,100
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Macon had 3.6 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: Macon had more than 64% 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

Meridian Community Unit School District 15

Macon’s K–12 school district, shared with Blue Mound, Blue Mound Township, Pleasant View Township, South Macon Township, South Wheatland Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Macon →
$12,661
per pupil · IL $21,567
986
students
$10.8 million
long-term debt

Of the $12,661 per pupil, $7,719 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 44%State 49%Federal 7%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Macon’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Macon County’s results45,626 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican58.2%26,562 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat39.5%18,009 votes

Others: 2.3% (1,055 votes).

Most votes in Macon County: Donald J Trump

Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%

The county’s page

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

Macon 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 Macon

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Macon.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Illinois HouseState representatives
    Brad Halbrook
  3. 3
    Illinois SenateState senator
    Steve McClure
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    J. B. Pritzker
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Mary E. Miller
  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 Macon’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Macon’s government

How much does Macon spend per resident?

About $579 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 $579 was more than 59% of 637 Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Macon?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,117 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.95% 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 Macon’s government?

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

How did Macon vote in 2024?

Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Macon alone. Macon County, where 100% of Macon lies, voted Trump 58.2%, Harris 39.5% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Macon?

4 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $16,004 (about $192,048 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Macon in the state legislature?

State Senate District 54 (Steve McClure) and State House District 107 (Brad Halbrook). The House district also covers 96 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Macon’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 →