Russell Railroad YMCA · Photo: Nyttend · Public domainRussell spent more per resident in 2022 than 67% of similar cities
Russell’s city government spent $3 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $824 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.1 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Russell is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$883 per resident in 2022: more than 67% of them
Russell’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($883 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 85 Kentucky cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $686, and the middle half spent $519–$1,027. Russell spent more than 67% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($345,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Kentucky cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Russell itself left out).
About $824 per resident a year, or $2.26 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 38%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 7% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Russell reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $883 · 2023: $824. Per resident it went from $883 to $824 (down 7%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 3,207 to 3,686.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,339 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.10% of the home’s value, vs 0.75% across Kentucky.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Russell’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.
Tax bills are one input to Russell’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Russell →
Who’s in charge in Russell
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 115 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (3,686).
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.
Russell Independent School District
Russell’s K–12 school district, shared with Bellefonte, Flatwoods. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,142 per pupil, $7,943 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.
Kentucky districts overall: 37% local, 46% state, 17% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Russell’s votes are counted by county
Kentucky reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Russell alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Greenup County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican74.6%12,961 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat24.1%4,181 votesOthers: 1.3% (232 votes).
Most votes in Greenup County: Donald J Trump
Kentucky: Trump 64.5%, Harris 33.9%
100% of Russell lies in Greenup County. Every 2024 race in Greenup County is on the county’s page.
Greenup County’s 2024 results →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 Russell.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Kentucky HouseState representatives
- 3Kentucky SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Kentucky
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Russell compares with the towns next door
Russell spent $883 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $424 to $597. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Flatwoods | $424 | $1,083 |
| Bellefonte | $597 | $3,766 |
| Russell | $883 | $2,339 |
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 Russell’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Russell’s government
How much does Russell spend per resident?
About $824 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $883 was more than 67% of 85 Kentucky cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Russell?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,339 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.10% 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 Russell’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Russell yet.
How did Russell vote in 2024?
Kentucky counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Russell alone. Greenup County, where 100% of Russell lies, voted Trump 74.6%, Harris 24.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Russell?
32 full-time and 40 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $204,739 (about $2.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Russell in the state legislature?
State Senate District 18 (Robin Webb) and State House District 98 (Aaron Thompson). The House district also covers eight other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Russell’s 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; 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 →