Photo: Gabriel Vanslette · CC BY 3.0Lake Elmo spent less per resident in 2022 than 85% of similar cities
Lake Elmo’s city government spent $7.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $560 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.5 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Lake Elmo is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Lake Elmo
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: lakeelmo.org ↗
Lake Elmo’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on lakeelmo.org ↗.
About $560 per resident a year, or $1.53 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 18%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$722 per resident in 2022: less than 85% of them
Lake Elmo’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($722 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 133 Minnesota cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,081, and the middle half spent $827–$1,405. Lake Elmo spent less than 85% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($861,000), 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Lake Elmo itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 12% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Lake Elmo 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: $722 · 2023: $515 · 2024: $560. Per resident it went from $722 to $560 (down 22%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 9,280 to 13,449.
full-time in March 2025, up from 22 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,841 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.81% 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 Lake Elmo’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 Lake Elmo’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Lake Elmo →
One full-time city employee for every 396 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (13,449).
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.
Stillwater Area Public School District
Lake Elmo’s K–12 school district, shared with Bayport, Baytown Township, Lake St. Croix Beach, Lakeland, Lakeland Shores and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,719 per pupil, $10,093 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.
North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District · $16,856 per pupil
Mahtomedi Public School District · $15,463 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Lake Elmo’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lake Elmo alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Washington County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat53.3%90,324 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican44.4%75,271 votesOthers: 2.3% (3,941 votes).
Most votes in Washington County: Kamala D Harris
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of Lake Elmo lies in Washington County. Every 2024 race in Washington County is on the county’s page.
Washington 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 Lake Elmo.
- 1Your cityMayorCharles Cadenheadas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 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.
How Lake Elmo compares with the towns next door
Lake Elmo spent $722 per resident in 2022; the 8 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $247 to $1,186. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| West Lakeland Township | $247 | $4,296 |
| Stillwater Township | $314 | $5,189 |
| Pine Springs | $354 | $4,796 |
| Grant | $409 | $5,420 |
| Baytown Township | $552 | $5,805 |
| Oakdale | $786 | $3,145 |
| Woodbury | $800 | $4,688 |
| Oak Park Heights | $1,186 | $3,486 |
| Lake Elmo | $722 | $4,841 |
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 Lake Elmo’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Lake Elmo’s government
How much does Lake Elmo spend per resident?
About $560 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 $722 was less than 85% of 133 Minnesota cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Lake Elmo?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,841 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.81% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see lakeelmo.org.
Who is the mayor of Lake Elmo?
Charles Cadenhead, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on lakeelmo.org.
How did Lake Elmo vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lake Elmo alone. Washington County, where 100% of Lake Elmo lies, voted Harris 53.3%, Trump 44.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Lake Elmo?
34 full-time and 29 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $271,968 (about $3.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Lake Elmo in the state legislature?
State Senate District 41 (Judy Seeberger) and State House District 41A (Wayne Johnson). The House district also covers 10 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Lake Elmo’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 →