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Town Hall · West Mineral

How is West Mineral run?

West Mineral’s city government spent $100,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $588 per resident. Water and other utilities ($38,000) are counted separately.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$100,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$588
In 2022: $588, more than 57% of 252 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2022
2
full-time · 8 part-time · March payroll $10,843
Typical tax bill
$713
1.66% of home value · KS 1.29%

What stands out about how West Mineral is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Runs its own water & sewer37% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Cherokee Unified School District 247 with 6+ other towns.Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $713 a year: 1.66% of the home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas.
★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $588 per resident a year, or $1.61 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 37%.

Where the money comes from
From other local governments 20%Fees & charges 18%Utility sales 18%From the federal government 14%From the state 12%Sales taxes 10%Property taxes 9%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $2,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $143,000.
About “Other”.41% of West Mineral’s day-to-day spending ($41,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Compared with similar places

$588 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

West Mineral’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($588 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. West Mineral spent more than 57% of them.

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

Includes sewer and trash ($14,000), 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; West Mineral itself left out).

Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $713 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.66% of the home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Kansas$2,798
West Mineral$713
$713
typical bill a year
1.66%
effective rate
$42,900
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in West Mineral

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 85 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 (170).

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

Administration & buildings0 + 8 pt
Courts, inspections & corrections1
Other1
2
full-time
8
part-time
$10,843
payroll for March 2022
$130,116
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$56,500
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.West Mineral had 11.8 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 5.0: West Mineral had more than 88% 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

Cherokee Unified School District 247

West Mineral’s K–12 school district, shared with Cherokee, McCune, Osage Township, Weir, Sheridan Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in West Mineral →
$18,720
per pupil · KS $14,966
461
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $18,720 per pupil, $11,399 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 21%State 67%Federal 13%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

West Mineral’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Cherokee County’s results8,717 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican75.5%6,584 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat22.6%1,970 votes

Others: 1.9% (163 votes).

Most votes in Cherokee County: Donald J Trump

Kansas: Trump 57.2%, Harris 41.0%

The county’s page

100% of West Mineral lies in Cherokee County. Every 2024 race in Cherokee County is on the county’s page.

Cherokee 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 West Mineral

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for West Mineral.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Kansas HouseState representatives
    Dale Helwig
  3. 3
    Kansas SenateState senator
    Tim Shallenburger
  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

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

Reach West Mineral’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about West Mineral’s government

How much does West Mineral spend per resident?

About $588 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 $588 was more than 57% of 252 Kansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in West Mineral?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $713 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.66% 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 West Mineral’s government?

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

How did West Mineral vote in 2024?

Kansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for West Mineral alone. Cherokee County, where 100% of West Mineral lies, voted Trump 75.5%, Harris 22.6% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for West Mineral?

2 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $10,843 (about $130,116 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents West Mineral 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 West Mineral’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 →