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Town Hall · Echo

Echo spent more per resident in 2022 than 73% of similar cities

Echo’s city government spent $363,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,470 per resident. Water and other utilities ($130,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Today

General election in Minnesota.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$363,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,470
In 2022: $1,470, more than 73% of 619 similar cities
Long-term debt
$1.3M
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2022
3
full-time · 3 part-time · March payroll $17,246
Typical tax bill
$1,155
1.11% of home value · MN 1.02%

What stands out about how Echo is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,470 per resident, more than 73% of 619 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer55% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Yellow Medicine East with 6+ other towns.Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $1,155 a year: 1.11% of the home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota.
Compared with similar places

$1,470 per resident in 2022: more than 73% of them

Echo’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,470 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 $1,111, and the middle half spent $740–$1,505. Echo spent more than 73% of them.

Middle half of the group, $740–$1,505Median $1,111Echo

Includes sewer and trash ($140,000), 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
619

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

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,470 per resident a year, or $4.03 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 39%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 50%From the state 18%Utility sales 17%From the federal government 4%Interest, fines & other 4%From other local governments 3%Fees & charges 2%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $158,000; interest on debt $52,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $703,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,155 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.11% of the home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Minnesota$3,357
Echo$1,155
$1,155
typical bill a year
1.11%
effective rate
$103,600
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Echo

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 82 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 (247).

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

Administration & buildings1 + 3 pt
Roads & transportation1
Water & other utilities1
3
full-time
3
part-time
$17,246
payroll for March 2022
$206,952
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$62,000
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Echo had 12.1 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 457 of the 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 3.8: Echo had more than 91% 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

Yellow Medicine East

Echo’s K–12 school district, shared with Clarkfield, Friendship Township, Granite Falls, Hanley Falls, Hazel Run and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Echo →
$17,693
per pupil · MN $17,091
603
students
$1.7 million
long-term debt

Of the $17,693 per pupil, $10,569 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 25%State 67%Federal 8%

Minnesota districts overall: 30% local, 62% state, 8% federal.

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Echo’s votes are counted by county

Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Echo alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Yellow Medicine County’s results.

President · Yellow Medicine County’s results5,410 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican69.1%3,738 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat28.6%1,548 votes

Others: 2.3% (124 votes).

Most votes in Yellow Medicine County: Donald J Trump

Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%

The county’s page

100% of Echo lies in Yellow Medicine County. Every 2024 race in Yellow Medicine County is on the county’s page.

Yellow Medicine 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 Echo

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Echo.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Minnesota HouseState representatives
    Chris Swedzinski
  3. 3
    Minnesota SenateState senator
    Gary Dahms
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Tim Walz
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Michelle Fischbach
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Minnesota
    Amy KlobucharTina Smith

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

Reach Echo’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Echo’s government

How much does Echo spend per resident?

About $1,470 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 $1,470 was more than 73% of 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Echo?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,155 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.11% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.

Who runs Echo’s government?

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

How did Echo vote in 2024?

Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Echo alone. Yellow Medicine County, where 100% of Echo lies, voted Trump 69.1%, Harris 28.6% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Echo?

3 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $17,246 (about $206,952 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Echo in the state legislature?

State Senate District 15 (Gary Dahms) and State House District 15A (Chris Swedzinski). The House district also covers 90 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Echo’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 →