Photo: Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0Rock Island spent more per resident in 2022 than 77% of similar cities
Rock Island’s city government spent $71.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2024, about $1,973 per resident. Water and other utilities ($8.4 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Rock Island is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Rock Island’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov6GeneralFriday · 9:15 am · Central Fire Station, 1313 5th AvenueForeign Fire Insurance Tax BoardAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov6Library CommitteeFriday · 2:00 pm · Downtown Library, 401 19th StreetLibrary Art & Facilities CommitteeAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov9City CouncilMonday · 5:45 pm · City Council Chambers, City Hall, 3rd Floor, 1528 Third Avenue, Rock Island, ILCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10Commercial/Industrial Revolving Loan FundTuesday · 10:00 am · 1528 Third AvenueMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov16Community Development CommissionMonday · 5:30 pm · 1528 Third AvenueMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov17Library Board of TrusteesTuesday · 5:00 pm · Downtown LibraryMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Nov5Historic Preservation CommissionThursday · 3:30 pm · 1528 3rd Avenue, City Hall, Council ChambersHistoric Preservation Preliminary Determination Subcommittee MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov3Community Development CommissionTuesday · 5:30 pm · 1528 Third AvenueOne Time EventAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov2Planning & Zoning CommissionMonday · 5:30 pm · Council Chambers, 3rd Floor, City Hall, 1528 3rd AvenuePlanning & Zoning Commission MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct28Historic Preservation CommissionWednesday · 5:30 pm · Council Chambers, 3rd Floor, City Hall, 1528 3rd AvenueHistoric Preservation Commission MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct28Police Pension Board of TrusteesWednesday · 3:30 pm · 1212 5th AvenueAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $1,973 per resident a year, or $5.41 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 22%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,635 per resident in 2022: more than 77% of them
Rock Island’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,635 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 44 Illinois cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,143, and the middle half spent $937–$1,489. Rock Island spent more than 77% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($5.9 million), 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 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Rock Island itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 19% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Rock Island reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,635 · 2023: $1,755 · 2024: $1,973.
full-time in March 2025, up from 338 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,979 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.37% 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 Rock Island’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 Rock Island’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Rock Island →
Who’s in charge in Rock Island
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 99 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (36,256).
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.
Rock Island-Milan School District 41
Rock Island’s K–12 school district, shared with South Rock Island Township, Rock Island Township, Milan, Blackhawk Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,999 per pupil, $11,497 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.
Rockridge Community Unit School District 300 · $14,251 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Rock Island’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Rock Island alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Rock Island County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat53.4%34,126 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican43.9%28,061 votesOthers: 2.6% (1,683 votes).
Most votes in Rock Island County: Kamala D Harris
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of Rock Island lies in Rock Island County. Every 2024 race in Rock Island County is on the county’s page.
Rock Island 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 Rock Island.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: rigov.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 Rock Island compares with the towns next door
Rock Island spent $1,635 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 |
|---|---|---|
| South Rock Island Township | $26 | $3,335 |
| South Moline Township | $26 | $3,814 |
| Rock Island Township | $28 | $2,062 |
| Moline Township | $35 | $2,780 |
| Moline | $3,464 | $3,272 |
| Milan | estimate | $2,716 |
| Rock Island | $1,635 | $2,979 |
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 Rock Island’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Rock Island’s government
How much does Rock Island spend per resident?
About $1,973 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,635 was more than 77% of 44 Illinois cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Rock Island?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,979 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.37% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see rigov.org.
Who runs Rock Island’s government?
See rigov.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Rock Island yet.
How did Rock Island vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Rock Island alone. Rock Island County, where 100% of Rock Island lies, voted Harris 53.4%, Trump 43.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Rock Island?
366 full-time and 123 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $2.3M (about $27.4M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Rock Island in the state legislature?
State Senate District 36 (Mike Halpin) and State House District 72 (Gregg Johnson). The House district also covers 14 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Rock Island?
The next posted meeting is General on Friday, November 6, at 9:15 am in Central Fire Station, 1313 5th Avenue, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Rock Island’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 →