Photo: Wdfarmer at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Blaine spent less per resident in 2022 than 87% of similar cities
Blaine’s city government spent $57.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $806 per resident. Water and other utilities ($8.7 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Blaine is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Blaine’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov9City Council WorkshopMonday · 3:00 pm · Blaine City Hall - Cloverleaf Farm Room A, 10801 Town Square Drive NECity Council RetreatMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov9City CouncilMonday · 4:00 pm · Blaine City Hall - Cloverleaf Farm Room A, 10801 Town Square Drive NESpecial City Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10City CouncilTuesday · 4:00 pm · 10801 Town Square Drive NEOne Time EventMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10Planning CommissionTuesday · 7:00 pm · Blaine City Hall - Council Chambers, 10801 Town Square Drive NEPlanning Commission MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov16City Council WorkshopMonday · 5:30 pm · Blaine City Hall - Cloverleaf Farm Room A, 10801 Town Square Drive NECity Council Workshop MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov16City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pm · Blaine City Hall - Council Chambers, 10801 Town Square Drive NECity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Nov2City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pm · Blaine City Hall - Council Chambers, 10801 Town Square Drive NECity Council MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov2GeneralMonday · 5:30 pm · 10801 Town Square Drive NE, Blaine City Hall - Cloverleaf Farms RoomCity Council Workshop MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct27Park Advisory BoardTuesday · 7:00 pm · Blaine City Hall - Council Chambers, 10801 Town Square Drive NEPark Advisory Board MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct20Natural Resources Conservation BoardTuesday · 7:00 pm · 10801 Town Square Dr.Natural Resources Conservation Board MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct19City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pm · Blaine City Hall - Council Chambers, 10801 Town Square Drive NECity Council MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $806 per resident a year, or $2.21 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$725 per resident in 2022: less than 87% of them
Blaine’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($725 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 15 Minnesota cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $897, and the middle half spent $816–$980. Blaine spent less than 87% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($11.1 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Minnesota cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Blaine itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 20% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Blaine 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: $725 · 2023: $789 · 2024: $806. Per resident it went from $725 to $806 (up 11%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 66,697 to 71,739.
full-time in March 2025, up from 202 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,301 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.94% of the home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Blaine’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 Blaine’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Blaine →
Who’s in charge in Blaine
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 338 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (71,739).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Spring Lake Park Public Schools
Blaine’s K–12 school district, shared with Spring Lake Park. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,711 per pupil, $8,635 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.
Minnesota districts overall: 30% local, 62% state, 8% federal.
Anoka-Hennepin Public School District · $16,135 per pupil
Centennial Public School District · $13,769 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Blaine’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Blaine alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Anoka County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican50.8%106,974 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat46.4%97,667 votesOthers: 2.8% (5,840 votes).
Most votes in Anoka County: Donald J Trump
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of Blaine lies in Anoka County; the rest in Ramsey County. Every 2024 race in Anoka County is on the county’s page.
Anoka 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 Blaine.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.blaine.mn.us ↗
- 2Minnesota HouseBlaine is split between 2 districts
- 3Minnesota SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Minnesota
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Blaine compares with the towns next door
Blaine spent $725 per resident in 2022; the 7 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $301 to $1,081. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Ham Lake | $301 | $3,583 |
| Lino Lakes | $637 | $4,237 |
| Spring Lake Park | $769 | $2,933 |
| Mounds View | $783 | $3,615 |
| Coon Rapids | $847 | $2,773 |
| Circle Pines | $944 | $3,476 |
| Lexington | $1,081 | $3,358 |
| Blaine | $725 | $3,301 |
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 Blaine’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Blaine’s government
How much does Blaine spend per resident?
About $806 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $725 was less than 87% of 15 Minnesota cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Blaine?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,301 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.94% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.blaine.mn.us.
Who runs Blaine’s government?
See ci.blaine.mn.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Blaine yet.
How did Blaine vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Blaine alone. Anoka County, where 100% of Blaine lies, voted Trump 50.8%, Harris 46.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Blaine?
212 full-time and 56 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $2.6M (about $30.8M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Blaine in the state legislature?
Blaine is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Minnesota Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 32 (Michael Kreun). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Blaine?
The next posted meeting is City Council Workshop on Monday, November 9, at 3:00 pm in Blaine City Hall - Cloverleaf Farm Room A, 10801 Town Square Drive NE, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Blaine’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 →