How is Clear Lake run?
Clear Lake’s city government spent $701,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $962 per resident. Water and other utilities ($101,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Clear Lake is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $962 per resident a year, or $2.64 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: fire, at 32%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$962 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Clear Lake’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($962 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,112, and the middle half spent $740–$1,505. Clear Lake spent less than 63% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($125,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Clear Lake itself left out).
No trend yet
Clear Lake reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,935 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.04% 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 Clear Lake’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 Clear Lake’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Clear Lake →
Who’s in charge in Clear Lake
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Clear Lake’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on clearlakemn.govoffice2.com ↗.
St. Cloud Public School District
Clear Lake’s K–12 school district, shared with Clearwater, Haven Township, St. Joseph, Waite Park, St. Cloud and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,140 per pupil, $10,881 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.
Becker Public School District · $13,615 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Clear Lake’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Clear Lake alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Sherburne County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican66.4%38,491 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat31.6%18,329 votesOthers: 2.0% (1,140 votes).
Most votes in Sherburne County: Donald J Trump
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of Clear Lake lies in Sherburne County. Every 2024 race in Sherburne County is on the county’s page.
Sherburne 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 Clear Lake.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: clearlakemn.govoffice2.com ↗
- 2Minnesota HouseState representatives
- 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.
Reach Clear Lake’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Clear Lake’s government
How much does Clear Lake spend per resident?
About $962 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 $962 was less than 63% of 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Clear Lake?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,935 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.04% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see clearlakemn.govoffice2.com.
Who runs Clear Lake’s government?
See clearlakemn.govoffice2.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Clear Lake yet.
How did Clear Lake vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Clear Lake alone. Sherburne County, where 100% of Clear Lake lies, voted Trump 66.4%, Harris 31.6% for president; its page has every race.
Who represents Clear Lake in the state legislature?
State Senate District 27 (Andrew Mathews) and State House District 27A (Shane Mekeland). The House district also covers nine other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Clear Lake’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 →