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Mora MinnesotaPhoto: Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant) · CC BY-SA 2.5
Town Hall · Mora

Mora spent more per resident in 2022 than 90% of similar cities

Mora’s city government spent $7.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $2,033 per resident. Water and other utilities ($10.4 million) and the airport ($191,000) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Minnesota.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2023
$7.4M
year to December 31, 2023
Per resident, 2023
$2,033
In 2022: $1,840, more than 90% of 133 similar cities
Long-term debt
$7.6M
end of 2023, reported
City staff, 2022
19
full-time · 7 part-time · March payroll $134,669
Typical tax bill
$2,549
1.48% of home value · MN 1.02%

What stands out about how Mora is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$1,840 per resident in 2022: more than 90% of them

Mora’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,840 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. Mora spent more than 90% of them.

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

Includes sewer and trash ($947,000), 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; Mora itself left out).

Your share of the 2023 budget

About $2,033 per resident a year, or $5.57 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: housing & development, at 45%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 64%Fees & charges 22%From the state 6%Property taxes 6%Interest, fines & other 2%From the federal government 1%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $2.6 million; interest on debt $344,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $20.8 million.
Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 12% since 2022

Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Mora reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$6.6 million
2023$7.4 million

Per resident: 2022: $1,840 · 2023: $2,033.

Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,549 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.48% of the home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Minnesota$3,357
Arthur Township$2,579
Mora$2,549
$2,549
typical bill a year
1.48%
effective rate
$171,800
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Mora

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

See ci.mora.mn.us for Mora’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Mora yet.ci.mora.mn.us ↗
Agendas

Mora’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ci.mora.mn.us ↗.

Who works for Mora

One full-time city employee for every 190 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (3,617).

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

Administration & buildings11 + 7 pt
Roads & transportation4
Water & other utilities4
19
full-time
7
part-time
$134,669
payroll for March 2022
$1.6M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$82,100
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Mora had 5.3 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: Mora had fewer than 50% 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

Mora Public School District

Mora’s K–12 school district, shared with Ford Township, Quamba, Whited Township, Knife Lake Township, Comfort Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Mora →
$13,586
per pupil · MN $17,091
1,653
students
$72.5 million
long-term debt

Of the $13,586 per pupil, $9,278 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

Mora’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Kanabec County’s results9,703 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican70.3%6,818 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat28.0%2,718 votes

Others: 1.7% (167 votes).

Most votes in Kanabec County: Donald J Trump

Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%

The county’s page

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

Kanabec 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 Mora

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Mora.

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 Mora compares with the towns next door

Mora spent $1,840 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
Arthur Township$233$2,579
Mora$1,840$2,549

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 Mora’s government

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

The Handbook →

Questions about Mora’s government

How much does Mora spend per resident?

About $2,033 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,840 was more than 90% of 133 Minnesota cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Mora?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,549 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.48% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.mora.mn.us.

Who runs Mora’s government?

See ci.mora.mn.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Mora yet.

How did Mora vote in 2024?

Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Mora alone. Kanabec County, where 100% of Mora lies, voted Trump 70.3%, Harris 28.0% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Mora?

19 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $134,669 (about $1.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Mora in the state legislature?

State Senate District 11 (Jason Rarick) and State House District 11B (Nathan Nelson). The House district also covers 48 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Mora’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 →