West City spent more per resident in 2022 than 99% of similar cities
West City’s city government spent $2 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $3,120 per resident. Water and other utilities ($281,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how West City is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$3,120 per resident in 2022: more than 99% of them
West City’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,120 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. West City spent more than 99% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; West City itself left out).
About $3,120 per resident a year, or $8.55 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 39%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
West City reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,225 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.72% 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 West City’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 West City’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in West City →
Who’s in charge in West City
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 45 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 (626).
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.
Benton Community Consolidated School District 47
West City’s elementary school district, shared with Hanaford, Benton, Benton Township, Browning Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,517 per pupil, $8,937 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.
Benton Consolidated High School District 103 · $19,692 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
West City’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for West City alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Franklin County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican74.4%13,200 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat24.0%4,257 votesOthers: 1.6% (289 votes).
Most votes in Franklin County: Donald J Trump
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of West City lies in Franklin County. Every 2024 race in Franklin County is on the county’s page.
Franklin 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 West City.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 West City compares with the towns next door
West City spent $3,120 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $728. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Benton | $728 | $1,350 |
| West City | $3,120 | $1,225 |
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 West City’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about West City’s government
How much does West City spend per resident?
About $3,120 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 $3,120 was more than 99% of 637 Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in West City?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,225 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.72% 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 West City’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for West City yet.
How did West City vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for West City alone. Franklin County, where 100% of West City lies, voted Trump 74.4%, Harris 24.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for West City?
14 full-time and 27 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $75,771 (about $909,252 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents West City 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 West City’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 →