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Burnside United Methodist ChurchPhoto: Nyttend · Public domain
Town Hall · Burnside

Burnside spent more per resident in 2022 than 99% of similar cities

Burnside’s city government spent $2.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $3,272 per resident. Water and other utilities ($572,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Kentucky.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2024
$2.3M
year to June 30, 2024
Per resident, 2024
$3,272
In 2022: $2,575, more than 99% of 221 similar cities
Long-term debt
$4.2M
end of FY2024, reported
City staff, 2022
15
full-time · 13 part-time · March payroll $30,765
Typical tax bill
$1,101
0.66% of home value · KY 0.75%

What stands out about how Burnside is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$2,575 per resident in 2022: more than 99% of them

Burnside’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,575 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 221 Kentucky cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $419, and the middle half spent $226–$717. Burnside spent more than 99% of them.

Middle half of the group, $226–$717Median $419Burnside

Includes sewer and trash ($328,000), 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
221

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

Your share of the 2024 budget

About $3,272 per resident a year, or $8.96 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 30%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 32%Sales taxes 26%Utility sales 19%Property taxes 8%From other local governments 6%Interest, fines & other 4%From the state 4%Other taxes & licenses 2%From the federal government <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $30,000; interest on debt $134,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $3 million.
About “Other”.27% of Burnside’s day-to-day spending ($630,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 13% since 2022

Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Burnside reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$2 million
2023$2.4 million
2024$2.3 million

Per resident: 2022: $2,575 · 2023: $3,412 · 2024: $3,272. Per resident it went from $2,575 to $3,272 (up 27%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 791 to 703.

Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,101 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.66% of the home’s value, vs 0.75% across Kentucky.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Kentucky$1,544
Somerset$1,178
Burnside$1,101
Ferguson$769
$1,101
typical bill a year
0.66%
effective rate
$167,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Burnside

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 47 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (703).

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

Police7 + 2 pt
Administration & buildings2 + 5 pt
Sewer & trash2 + 2 pt
Parks & libraries2
Water & other utilities2
Fire0 + 2 pt
Other0 + 2 pt
15
full-time
13
part-time
$30,765
payroll for March 2022
$369,180
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$22,000
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
5
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Burnside had 19.0 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 137 of the 221 Kentucky cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 2.4: Burnside had more than 95% 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

Pulaski County School District

Burnside’s K–12 school district, shared with Ferguson, Eubank, Somerset. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Burnside →
$12,883
per pupil · KY $14,752
7,840
students
$94.7 million
long-term debt

Of the $12,883 per pupil, $8,210 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 29%State 48%Federal 23%

Kentucky districts overall: 37% local, 46% state, 17% federal.

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Burnside’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Pulaski County’s results31,735 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican82.1%26,051 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat16.9%5,351 votes

Others: 1.0% (333 votes).

Most votes in Pulaski County: Donald J Trump

Kentucky: Trump 64.5%, Harris 33.9%

The county’s page

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

Pulaski 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 Burnside

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Burnside.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Kentucky HouseBurnside is split between 3 districts
  3. 3
    Kentucky SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Kentucky

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

Next door

How Burnside compares with the towns next door

Burnside spent $2,575 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $328 to $2,414. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Ferguson$328$769
Somerset$2,414$1,178
Burnside$2,575$1,101

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 Burnside’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Burnside’s government

How much does Burnside spend per resident?

About $3,272 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $2,575 was more than 99% of 221 Kentucky cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Burnside?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,101 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.66% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.75% across Kentucky. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.

Who runs Burnside’s government?

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

How did Burnside vote in 2024?

Kentucky counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Burnside alone. Pulaski County, where 100% of Burnside lies, voted Trump 82.1%, Harris 16.9% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Burnside?

15 full-time and 13 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $30,765 (about $369,180 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Burnside in the state legislature?

Burnside is split among 3 State House districts, so your address decides. The Kentucky Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 15 (Rick Girdler). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Burnside’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 →