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Town Hall · Mentor

Mentor spent more per resident in 2022 than 83% of similar cities

Mentor’s city government spent $248,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,687 per resident. Water and other utilities ($442,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Today

General election in Minnesota.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$248,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,687
In 2022: $1,687, more than 83% of 619 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2022
2
full-time · 17 part-time · March payroll $18,029
Typical tax bill
$791
0.98% of home value · MN 1.02%

What stands out about how Mentor is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,687 per resident, more than 83% of 619 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer64% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Win-E-Mac School District with 6+ other towns.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $791 a year: 0.98% of the home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota.
Compared with similar places

$1,687 per resident in 2022: more than 83% of them

Mentor’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,687 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–$1,504. Mentor spent more than 83% of them.

Middle half of the group, $740–$1,504Median $1,111Mentor

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; Mentor itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,687 per resident a year, or $4.62 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: fire, at 33%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 63%Interest, fines & other 14%Fees & charges 10%From the state 7%Property taxes 5%From the federal government 1%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $68,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $758,000.
About “Other”.27% of Mentor’s day-to-day spending ($68,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $791 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.98% of the home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Minnesota$3,357
Mentor$791
$791
typical bill a year
0.98%
effective rate
$80,700
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Mentor

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 74 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 (147).

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

Administration & buildings0 + 6 pt
Roads & transportation1
Parks & libraries1
Other0 + 11 pt
2
full-time
17
part-time
$18,029
payroll for March 2022
$216,348
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$49,200
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Mentor had 13.6 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: Mentor had more than 94% 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

Win-E-Mac School District

Mentor’s K–12 school district, shared with Badger Township, Erskine, King Township, Knute Township, Lessor Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Mentor →
$16,189
per pupil · MN $17,091
444
students
$4.6 million
long-term debt

Of the $16,189 per pupil, $11,009 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 23%State 72%Federal 5%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Mentor’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Polk County’s results15,419 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican65.9%10,162 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat32.2%4,967 votes

Others: 1.9% (290 votes).

Most votes in Polk County: Donald J Trump

Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%

The county’s page

100% of Mentor lies in Polk County. Every 2024 race in Polk County is on the county’s page.

Polk 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 Mentor

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Mentor.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Minnesota HouseState representatives
    Steve Gander
  3. 3
    Minnesota SenateState senator
    Mark Johnson
  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 Mentor’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Mentor’s government

How much does Mentor spend per resident?

About $1,687 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 $1,687 was more than 83% of 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Mentor?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $791 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.98% 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 Mentor’s government?

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

How did Mentor vote in 2024?

Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Mentor alone. Polk County, where 100% of Mentor lies, voted Trump 65.9%, Harris 32.2% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Mentor?

2 full-time and 17 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $18,029 (about $216,348 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Mentor in the state legislature?

State Senate District 1 (Mark Johnson) and State House District 1B (Steve Gander). The House district also covers 126 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Mentor’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 →