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Dale, IndianaPhoto: Chris Flook · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Dale

How is Dale run?

Dale’s town government spent $635,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $429 per resident.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$635,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$429
In 2022: $429, less than 62% of 363 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of 2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
8
full-time · 10 part-time · March payroll $31,271
Typical tax bill
$773
0.61% of home value · IN 0.74%

What stands out about how Dale is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

A shared school districtShares North Spencer County School Corporation with 6+ other towns.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $773 a year: 0.61% of the home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana.
The school district

North Spencer County School Corporation

Dale’s K–12 school district, shared with Carter Township, Chrisney, Clay Township, Gentryville, Grass Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Dale →
$10,993
per pupil · IN $13,688
2,116
students
$26.7 million
long-term debt

Of the $10,993 per pupil, $6,612 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 36%State 59%Federal 5%

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

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

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $429 per resident a year, or $1.18 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: parks & libraries, at 26%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 40%Utility sales 32%Property taxes 24%Interest, fines & other 4%
About “Other”.43% of Dale’s day-to-day spending ($273,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Compared with similar places

$429 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

Dale’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($429 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 363 Indiana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $586, and the middle half spent $292–$967. Dale spent less than 62% of them.

Middle half of the group, $292–$967Median $586Dale

Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
363

Indiana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Dale itself left out).

Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $773 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.61% of the home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Indiana$1,614
Dale$773
$773
typical bill a year
0.61%
effective rate
$127,200
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Dale

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

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

One full-time town employee for every 185 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 (1,480).

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

Administration & buildings2 + 7 pt
Parks & libraries1 + 2 pt
Police2
Roads & transportation1 + 1 pt
Sewer & trash1
Water & other utilities1
8
full-time
10
part-time
$31,271
payroll for March 2022
$375,252
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$42,600
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
2
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Dale had 5.4 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 221 of the 363 Indiana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 4.3: Dale had more than 62% 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.

Who represents Dale

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Dale.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Indiana HouseState representatives
    Steve Bartels
  3. 3
    Indiana SenateState senator
    Daryl Schmitt
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Mike Braun
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Mark B. Messmer
  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 Dale’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Dale’s government

How much does Dale spend per resident?

About $429 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $429 was less than 62% of 363 Indiana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Dale?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $773 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.61% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.

Who runs Dale’s government?

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

How many people work for Dale?

8 full-time and 10 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $31,271 (about $375,252 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Dale in the state legislature?

State Senate District 48 (Daryl Schmitt) and State House District 74 (Steve Bartels). The House district also covers 51 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Dale’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 →