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Town Hall · Olpe

How is Olpe run?

Olpe’s city government spent $330,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $623 per resident. Water and other utilities ($134,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Today

General election in Kansas.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$330,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$623
In 2022: $623, more than 60% of 252 similar cities
Long-term debt
$277,000
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2022
2
full-time · 7 part-time · March payroll $7,341
Typical tax bill
$2,091
1.28% of home value · KS 1.29%

What stands out about how Olpe is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Runs its own water & sewer33% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Southern Lyon County Unified School District 252 with 5 other towns.Split between districts2 State House districts cover Olpe; your street decides yours.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $2,091 a year: 1.28% of the home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas.
★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $623 per resident a year, or $1.71 a day

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

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 28%From the state 23%Property taxes 13%From other local governments 10%Fees & charges 9%From the federal government 6%Sales taxes 6%Interest, fines & other 3%Other taxes & licenses 2%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $66,000; interest on debt $12,000; payments to other governments $3,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $545,000.
About “Other”.50% of Olpe’s day-to-day spending ($166,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Compared with similar places

$623 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

Olpe’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($623 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. Olpe spent more than 60% of them.

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

Includes sewer and trash ($21,000), 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; Olpe itself left out).

Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,091 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.28% of the home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Kansas$2,798
Olpe$2,091
$2,091
typical bill a year
1.28%
effective rate
$163,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Olpe

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 265 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 (530).

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

Administration & buildings1 + 5 pt
Fire0 + 2 pt
Other1
2
full-time
7
part-time
$7,341
payroll for March 2022
$88,092
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$38,800
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Olpe had 3.8 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: Olpe had fewer than 57% 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

Southern Lyon County Unified School District 252

Olpe’s K–12 school district, shared with Hartford, Neosho Rapids, Elmendaro Township, Center Township, Jackson Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Olpe →
$17,428
per pupil · KS $14,966
572
students
$11.6 million
long-term debt

Of the $17,428 per pupil, $11,427 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 53%Federal 19%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Olpe’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Lyon County’s results13,256 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican56.3%7,462 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat41.6%5,515 votes

Others: 2.1% (279 votes).

Most votes in Lyon County: Donald J Trump

Kansas: Trump 57.2%, Harris 41.0%

The county’s page

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

Lyon 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 Olpe

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Olpe.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Kansas HouseOlpe is split between 2 districts
    Brad BarrettDuane Droge
  3. 3
    Kansas SenateState senator
    Mike Argabright
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Laura Kelly
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Derek Schmidt
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Kansas
    Jerry MoranRoger Marshall
Find your state legislators by address ↗

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

Reach Olpe’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Olpe’s government

How much does Olpe spend per resident?

About $623 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 $623 was more than 60% of 252 Kansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Olpe?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,091 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.28% 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 Olpe’s government?

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

How did Olpe vote in 2024?

Kansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Olpe alone. Lyon County, where 100% of Olpe lies, voted Trump 56.3%, Harris 41.6% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Olpe?

2 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $7,341 (about $88,092 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Olpe in the state legislature?

Olpe is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Kansas Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 17 (Mike Argabright). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Olpe’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 →