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Leon, Kansas, United States City Hall, bank, more, Jun 15, 2022 09-07-37 AMPhoto: Doncram · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Leon

Leon spent more per resident in 2022 than 75% of similar cities

Leon’s city government spent $547,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $749 per resident. Water and other utilities ($120,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Kansas.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$547,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$749
In 2022: $749, more than 75% of 252 similar cities
Long-term debt
$565,000
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2022
3
full-time · 2 part-time · March payroll $13,380
Typical tax bill
$1,722
1.52% of home value · KS 1.29%

What stands out about how Leon is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $749 per resident, more than 75% of 252 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer33% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Bluestem Unified School District 205 with 6+ other towns.Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $1,722 a year: 1.52% of the home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas.
Compared with similar places

$749 per resident in 2022: more than 75% of them

Leon’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($749 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. Leon spent more than 75% of them.

Middle half of the group, $249–$751Median $516Leon

Includes sewer and trash ($102,000), 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
252

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

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $749 per resident a year, or $2.05 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 19%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 25%Utility sales 19%Property taxes 18%Interest, fines & other 16%From the state 10%Sales taxes 7%Other taxes & licenses 5%From other local governments <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $1,000; interest on debt $15,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $683,000.
About “Other”.62% of Leon’s day-to-day spending ($338,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,722 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.52% of the home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Kansas$2,798
Leon$1,722
$1,722
typical bill a year
1.52%
effective rate
$113,100
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Leon

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 243 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 (730).

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

Roads & transportation2
Administration & buildings1
Police0 + 2 pt
3
full-time
2
part-time
$13,380
payroll for March 2022
$160,560
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$47,000
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Leon had 4.1 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 226 of the 252 Kansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 5.1: Leon had fewer than 54% 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

Bluestem Unified School District 205

Leon’s K–12 school district, shared with Hickory Township, Latham, Little Walnut Township, Logan Township, Union Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Leon →
$14,788
per pupil · KS $14,966
523
students
$13.5 million
long-term debt

Of the $14,788 per pupil, $8,212 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 27%State 69%Federal 5%

Kansas districts overall: 28% local, 61% state, 11% federal.

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Leon’s votes are counted by county

Kansas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Leon alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Butler County’s results.

President · Butler County’s results32,236 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican69.6%22,426 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat28.4%9,150 votes

Others: 2.0% (660 votes).

Most votes in Butler County: Donald J Trump

Kansas: Trump 57.2%, Harris 41.0%

The county’s page

100% of Leon lies in Butler County. Every 2024 race in Butler County is on the county’s page.

Butler County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Leon

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Leon.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Kansas HouseState representatives
    Doug Blex
  3. 3
    Kansas SenateState senator
    Mike Fagg
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Laura Kelly
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Ron Estes
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Kansas
    Jerry MoranRoger Marshall

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

Reach Leon’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Leon’s government

How much does Leon spend per resident?

About $749 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 $749 was more than 75% of 252 Kansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Leon?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,722 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.52% 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 Leon’s government?

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

How did Leon vote in 2024?

Kansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Leon alone. Butler County, where 100% of Leon lies, voted Trump 69.6%, Harris 28.4% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Leon?

3 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $13,380 (about $160,560 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Leon in the state legislature?

State Senate District 14 (Mike Fagg) and State House District 12 (Doug Blex). The House district also covers 70 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Leon’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 →