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Stewart-Studebaker HouseStewart-Studebaker House · Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Town Hall · Bluffton

Bluffton spent more per resident in 2022 than 71% of similar cities

Bluffton’s city government spent $23.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $2,303 per resident. Water and other utilities ($22.6 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Indiana.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2024
$23.9M
year to December 31, 2024
Per resident, 2024
$2,303
In 2022: $1,589, more than 71% of 35 similar cities
Long-term debt
$83.3M
end of 2024, reported
City staff, 2022
109
full-time · 35 part-time · March payroll $507,298
Typical tax bill
$900
0.60% of home value · IN 0.74%

What stands out about how Bluffton is run

Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.

Agendas posted online6 upcoming meetings posted, with agendas.Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,589 per resident, more than 71% of 35 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer75% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2024).A shared school districtShares Bluffton-Harrison Metropolitan School District with 3 other towns.
★ What stands out · Meetings

6 upcoming meetings at town hall

From Bluffton’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.

Recent meetings

  • Oct27
    Board of Public Works and SafetyTuesday · 4:30 pm · 128 E Market Street, 2nd floor City Council ChamberAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Oct27
    GeneralTuesday · 8:00 am · 128 East Market Street911 Board MeetingMeeting page ↗
  • Oct20
    City CouncilTuesday · 5:30 pm · 128 E Market StreetCity Council MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Oct20
    Board of Public Works and SafetyTuesday · 4:30 pm · 128 E Market Street, 2nd floor City Council ChamberAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Oct19
    GeneralMonday · 5:00 pm · 128 E Market Street, 2nd floor City Council ChamberFire Territory BoardMeeting page ↗
Go in person

Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.

Agenda portal ↗
Your share of the 2024 budget

About $2,303 per resident a year, or $6.31 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 51%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 52%Utility sales 37%Property taxes 4%From the state 4%Interest, fines & other 2%From the federal government 1%From other local governments <1%Other taxes & licenses <1%Sales taxes <1%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $887,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $47.4 million.
Compared with similar places

$1,589 per resident in 2022: more than 71% of them

Bluffton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,589 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 35 Indiana cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,179, and the middle half spent $976–$1,616. Bluffton spent more than 71% of them.

Middle half of the group, $976–$1,616Median $1,179Bluffton

Includes sewer and trash ($3.5 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 →

The group
35

Indiana cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bluffton itself left out).

Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 49% since 2022

Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Bluffton reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$16 million
2023$12.6 million
2024$23.9 million

Per resident: 2022: $1,589 · 2023: $1,217 · 2024: $2,303.

Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $900 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.60% of the home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Indiana$1,614
Bluffton$900
$900
typical bill a year
0.60%
effective rate
$149,600
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Bluffton

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

See ci.bluffton.in.us for Bluffton’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Bluffton yet.ci.bluffton.in.us ↗
Who works for Bluffton

One full-time city employee for every 95 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (10,379).

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

Police33 + 1 pt
Fire11 + 22 pt
Water & other utilities22
Administration & buildings11 + 7 pt
Sewer & trash13
Roads & transportation8
Parks & libraries5 + 5 pt
Health & welfare3
Courts, inspections & corrections2
Other1
109
full-time
35
part-time
$507,298
payroll for March 2022
$6.1M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$53,300
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
20
sworn police officers
11
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Bluffton had 10.8 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 25 of the 35 Indiana cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 7.4: Bluffton had more than 84% 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

Bluffton-Harrison Metropolitan School District

Bluffton’s K–12 school district, shared with Harrison Township, Vera Cruz, Poneto. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Bluffton →
$11,967
per pupil · IN $13,688
1,782
students
$26.7 million
long-term debt

Of the $11,967 per pupil, $7,268 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 33%State 59%Federal 8%

Indiana districts overall: 33% local, 56% state, 11% federal.

Also serving Bluffton

Northern Wells Community Schools · $12,680 per pupil

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

Who represents Bluffton

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Bluffton.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: ci.bluffton.in.us ↗
  2. 2
    Indiana HouseState representatives
    Matt Lehman
  3. 3
    Indiana SenateState senator
    Travis Holdman
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Mike Braun
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Marlin A. Stutzman
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Indiana
    Todd YoungJim Banks

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Bluffton’s government

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

The Handbook →
Official websiteci.bluffton.in.us ↗

Questions about Bluffton’s government

How much does Bluffton spend per resident?

About $2,303 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,589 was more than 71% of 35 Indiana cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Bluffton?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $900 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.60% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.bluffton.in.us.

Who runs Bluffton’s government?

See ci.bluffton.in.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bluffton yet.

How many people work for Bluffton?

109 full-time and 35 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $507,298 (about $6.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Bluffton in the state legislature?

State Senate District 19 (Travis Holdman) and State House District 79 (Matt Lehman). The House district also covers 36 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

When is the next public meeting in Bluffton?

The next posted meeting is Board of Public Works and Safety on Tuesday, November 3, at 4:30 pm in 128 E Market Street, 2nd floor City Council Chamber, from the city’s own agenda portal.

Ask neighbors about Bluffton’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 →