Photo: Kaethesson · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Columbus run?
Columbus’ city government spent $3.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,268 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Columbus didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how Columbus is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,268 per resident a year, or $3.47 a day
Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Columbus didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.
No comparison or trend for Columbus yet
Every year of Columbus’ figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the city reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $1,369 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.45% 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 Columbus’ 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 Columbus’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Columbus →
Who’s in charge in Columbus
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Columbus’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on columbuscityhall.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 100 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 (3,006).
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.
Columbus Unified School District 493
Columbus’ K–12 school district, shared with Lola Township, Lyon Township, Roseland, Salamanca Township, Scammon and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,442 per pupil, $8,638 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 Columbus voted in 2024
Official results for Columbus’ own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican70.8%861 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat27.1%329 votesOthers: 2.1% (26 votes).
Most votes in Columbus: Donald J Trump
Cherokee County: Trump 75.5%, Harris 22.6% · Kansas: Trump 57.2%, Harris 41.0%
of Columbus’ 2,164 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Kansas: 62%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in the district: Derek Schmidt
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Columbus, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus | 70.8% | 27.1% | 2.1% | 1,216 |
| Cherokee County | 75.5% | 22.6% | 1.9% | 8,717 |
| 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 Columbus.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: columbuscityhall.com ↗
- 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.
How Columbus compares with the towns next door
Columbus’ own figures are Census estimates, so it isn’t placed among its neighbors. 1 of the 2 towns next door reported 2022 figures, from $29 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Crawford Township | $29 | $1,599 |
| Salamanca Township | estimate | $2,098 |
| Columbus | estimate | $1,369 |
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 Columbus’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Columbus’ government
How much does Columbus spend per resident?
About $1,268 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Columbus didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $3.9 million.
What is the property tax rate in Columbus?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,369 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.45% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see columbuscityhall.com.
Who runs Columbus’ government?
See columbuscityhall.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Columbus yet.
How did Columbus vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 70.8%, Kamala D Harris 27.1% (1,216 votes, official results). Cherokee County: Trump 75.5%, Harris 22.6%. Kansas: Trump 57.2%, Harris 41.0%.
How many people work for Columbus?
30 full-time and 12 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $111,098 (about $1.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Columbus in the state legislature?
State Senate District 13 (Tim Shallenburger) and State House District 1 (Dale Helwig). The House district also covers 27 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Columbus’ 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 (for Columbus, the Bureau’s estimates); 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 →