How is Alton run?
Alton’s city government spent $59,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $641 per resident. Water and other utilities ($33,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Alton is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $641 per resident a year, or $1.76 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 49%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$641 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Alton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($641 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 252 Kansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $516, and the middle half spent $249–$751. Alton spent more than 63% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($9,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Kansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Alton itself left out).
No trend yet
Alton reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $400 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.23% of the home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Alton’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 Alton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Alton →
Who’s in charge in Alton
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Osborne County Unified School District 392
Alton’s K–12 school district, shared with Hancock Township, Independence Township, Lawrence Township, Osborne, Portis and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,953 per pupil, $10,508 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.
Kansas districts overall: 28% local, 61% state, 11% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Alton voted in 2024
Official results for Alton’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican97.8%45 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat2.2%1 votesMost votes in Alton: Donald J Trump
Osborne County: Trump 83.3%, Harris 14.7% · Kansas: Trump 57.2%, Harris 41.0%
Most votes in the district: Tracey Mann
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Alton, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alton | 97.8% | 2.2% | 0.0% | 46 |
| Osborne County | 83.3% | 14.7% | 2.0% | 1,774 |
| Kansas | 57.2% | 41.0% | 1.8% | 1,327,591 |
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 Alton.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Kansas HouseState representatives
- 3Kansas SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Kansas
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Alton’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Alton’s government
How much does Alton spend per resident?
About $641 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 $641 was more than 63% of 252 Kansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Alton?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $400 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.23% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who runs Alton’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Alton yet.
How did Alton vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 97.8%, Kamala D Harris 2.2% (46 votes, official results). Osborne County: Trump 83.3%, Harris 14.7%. Kansas: Trump 57.2%, Harris 41.0%.
How many people work for Alton?
0 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1,815 (about $21,780 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Alton in the state legislature?
State Senate District 36 (Elaine Bowers) and State House District 109 (Troy Waymaster). The House district also covers 115 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Alton’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 →