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Mitchell Opera HouseMitchell Opera House · Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Town Hall · Mitchell

Mitchell spent less per resident in 2022 than 86% of similar cities

Mitchell’s city government spent $2.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $553 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2.5 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Indiana.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2024
$2.2M
year to December 31, 2024
Per resident, 2024
$553
In 2022: $558, less than 86% of 89 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of 2024, reported
City staff, 2022
34
full-time · 20 part-time · March payroll $139,380
Typical tax bill
$1,136
0.99% of home value · IN 0.74%

What stands out about how Mitchell is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$558 per resident in 2022: less than 86% of them

Mitchell’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($558 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 89 Indiana cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,139, and the middle half spent $760–$1,490. Mitchell spent less than 86% of them.

Middle half of the group, $760–$1,490Median $1,139Mitchell

Includes sewer and trash ($498,000), 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
89

Indiana cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Mitchell itself left out).

Your share of the 2024 budget

About $553 per resident a year, or $1.52 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 45%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 44%Property taxes 41%Fees & charges 13%From the state 2%Interest, fines & other <1%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $30,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $4.8 million.
Over the years

Day-to-day spending is down 9% since 2022

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

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$2.4 million
2024$2.2 million

Per resident: 2022: $558 · 2024: $553. Per resident it went from $558 to $553 (down 1%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 4,269 to 3,940.

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 $1,136 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.99% of the home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Indiana$1,614
Mitchell$1,136
$1,136
typical bill a year
0.99%
effective rate
$114,500
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Mitchell

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

See mitchell-in.gov for Mitchell’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Mitchell yet.mitchell-in.gov ↗
Agendas

Mitchell’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on mitchell-in.gov ↗.

Who works for Mitchell

One full-time city employee for every 116 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 (3,940).

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

Administration & buildings10
Police6 + 3 pt
Fire0 + 14 pt
Roads & transportation6 + 2 pt
Water & other utilities6
Sewer & trash4
Parks & libraries0 + 1 pt
Other2
34
full-time
20
part-time
$139,380
payroll for March 2022
$1.7M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$43,800
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
5
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Mitchell had 8.0 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 61 of the 89 Indiana cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 8.2: Mitchell had fewer than 52% 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

Mitchell Community Schools

Mitchell’s K–12 school district, shared with Bono Township, Marion Township, Spice Valley Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Mitchell →
$36,745
per pupil · IN $13,688
650
students
$44.7 million
long-term debt

Of the $36,745 per pupil, $16,934 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 28%State 58%Federal 14%

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

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

Who represents Mitchell

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Mitchell.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    Indiana HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Indiana SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Indiana

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

Reach Mitchell’s government

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

The Handbook →

Questions about Mitchell’s government

How much does Mitchell spend per resident?

About $553 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 $558 was less than 86% of 89 Indiana cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Mitchell?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,136 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.99% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see mitchell-in.gov.

Who runs Mitchell’s government?

See mitchell-in.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Mitchell yet.

How many people work for Mitchell?

34 full-time and 20 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $139,380 (about $1.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Mitchell in the state legislature?

State Senate District 44 (Eric Koch) and State House District 65 (Chris May). The House district also covers 32 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Mitchell’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 →