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Charles H. Budd HouseCharles H. Budd House · Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Montevideo

Montevideo spent more per resident in 2022 than 97% of similar cities

Montevideo’s city government spent $13.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $2,717 per resident. Water and other utilities ($4.7 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Minnesota.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$13.7M
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$2,717
In 2022: $2,717, more than 97% of 133 similar cities
Long-term debt
$16.7M
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2025
39
full-time · 21 part-time · March payroll $276,771
Typical tax bill
$1,649
1.17% of home value · MN 1.02%

What stands out about how Montevideo is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$2,717 per resident in 2022: more than 97% of them

Montevideo’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,717 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 $1,074, and the middle half spent $815–$1,375. Montevideo spent more than 97% of them.

Middle half of the group, $815–$1,375Median $1,074Montevideo

Includes sewer and trash ($762,000), 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
133

Minnesota cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Montevideo itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $2,717 per resident a year, or $7.44 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 11%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 35%From the state 33%Property taxes 14%Fees & charges 10%Interest, fines & other 5%From the federal government 2%Sales taxes 1%From other local governments <1%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $5.8 million; interest on debt $573,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $24.9 million.
About “Other”.63% of Montevideo’s day-to-day spending ($8.6 million) 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

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

City staff
39

full-time in March 2025, up from 37 in 2022.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,649 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.17% of the home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Minnesota$3,357
Stony Run Township$1,991
Sparta Township$1,896
Montevideo$1,649
$1,649
typical bill a year
1.17%
effective rate
$141,000
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Montevideo

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

See montevideomn.org for Montevideo’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Montevideo yet.montevideomn.org ↗
Agendas

Montevideo’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on montevideomn.org ↗.

Who works for Montevideo

One full-time city employee for every 129 residents

On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (5,027).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025

Police12 + 2 pt
Roads & transportation11
Administration & buildings5 + 6 pt
Water & other utilities3
Parks & libraries1 + 2 pt
Housing & development1
Sewer & trash1
Fire0 + 1 pt
Other5 + 10 pt
39
full-time
21
part-time
$276,771
payroll for March 2025
$3.3M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$81,200
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
11
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Montevideo had 7.4 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 109 of the 133 Minnesota cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 5.3: Montevideo had more than 78% 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

Montevideo Public School District

Montevideo’s K–12 school district, shared with Sparta Township, Watson, Rosewood Township, Camp Release Township, Tunsberg Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Montevideo →
$14,971
per pupil · MN $17,091
1,396
students
$2.4 million
long-term debt

Of the $14,971 per pupil, $9,178 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 21%State 73%Federal 6%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Montevideo’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Chippewa County’s results6,318 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican66.1%4,175 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat32.1%2,026 votes

Others: 1.9% (117 votes).

Most votes in Chippewa County: Donald J Trump

Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%

The county’s page

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

Chippewa 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 Montevideo

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Montevideo.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    Minnesota HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Minnesota SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Minnesota

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

Next door

How Montevideo compares with the towns next door

Montevideo spent $2,717 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Sparta Township$212$1,896
Stony Run Township$373$1,991
Montevideo$2,717$1,649

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 Montevideo’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Montevideo’s government

How much does Montevideo spend per resident?

About $2,717 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 $2,717 was more than 97% of 133 Minnesota cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Montevideo?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,649 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.17% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see montevideomn.org.

Who runs Montevideo’s government?

See montevideomn.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Montevideo yet.

How did Montevideo vote in 2024?

Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Montevideo alone. Chippewa County, where 100% of Montevideo lies, voted Trump 66.1%, Harris 32.1% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Montevideo?

39 full-time and 21 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $276,771 (about $3.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Montevideo in the state legislature?

State Senate District 16 (Andrew Lang) and State House District 16A (Scott Van Binsbergen). The House district also covers 80 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Montevideo’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 →