Photo: Paul Sableman · CC BY 2.0Mount Vernon spent more per resident in 2022 than 94% of similar cities
Mount Vernon’s city government spent $29.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $2,060 per resident. Water and other utilities ($3.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Mount Vernon is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,060 per resident in 2022: more than 94% of them
Mount Vernon’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,060 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 97 Illinois cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,094, and the middle half spent $794–$1,484. Mount Vernon spent more than 94% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Illinois cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Mount Vernon itself left out).
About $2,060 per resident a year, or $5.64 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 17%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Mount Vernon reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, up from 141 in 2022.
The typical homeowner pays $2,271 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.28% 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 Mount Vernon’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 Mount Vernon’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Mount Vernon →
Who’s in charge in Mount Vernon
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Mount Vernon’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on mtvernon.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 95 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (14,511).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Mount Vernon Township High School District 201
Mount Vernon’s high school district, shared with Belle Rive, Bonnie, Dix, Dodds Township, Field Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $21,435 per pupil, $11,405 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.
Mount Vernon School District 80 · $20,276 per pupil
Summersville School District 79 · $14,939 per pupil
Bethel School District 82 · $20,303 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Mount Vernon’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Mount Vernon alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Jefferson County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican72.9%12,189 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat25.3%4,240 votesOthers: 1.8% (298 votes).
Most votes in Jefferson County: Donald J Trump
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of Mount Vernon lies in Jefferson County. Every 2024 race in Jefferson County is on the county’s page.
Jefferson 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 Mount Vernon.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: mtvernon.com ↗
- 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 Mount Vernon compares with the towns next door
Mount Vernon spent $2,060 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Vernon Township | $69 | $2,118 |
| Dodds Township | $130 | $1,760 |
| Mount Vernon | $2,060 | $2,271 |
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 Mount Vernon’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Mount Vernon’s government
How much does Mount Vernon spend per resident?
About $2,060 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 $2,060 was more than 94% of 97 Illinois cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Mount Vernon?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,271 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.28% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see mtvernon.com.
Who runs Mount Vernon’s government?
See mtvernon.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Mount Vernon yet.
How did Mount Vernon vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Mount Vernon alone. Jefferson County, where 100% of Mount Vernon lies, voted Trump 72.9%, Harris 25.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Mount Vernon?
153 full-time and 1 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $887,487 (about $10.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Mount Vernon in the state legislature?
State Senate District 58 (Terri Bryant) and State House District 116 (Dave Severin). The House district also covers 105 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Mount Vernon’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 →