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Town Hall · North Branch

How is North Branch run?

North Branch’s city government spent $9.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $857 per resident. Water and other utilities ($9.1 million) are counted separately.

Next public meeting

One-Time Event

6:30 pm · City Hall, 6408 Elm Street

All meetings →
Day-to-day spending, 2023
$9.5M
year to December 31, 2023
Per resident, 2023
$857
In 2022: $791, less than 65% of 51 similar cities
Long-term debt
$16.2M
end of 2023, reported
City staff, 2025
33
full-time · 35 part-time · March payroll $303,039
Typical tax bill
$3,536
1.10% of home value · MN 1.02%

What stands out about how North Branch is run

Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.

Agendas posted online6 upcoming meetings posted, with agendas.Runs its own water & sewer57% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2023).A shared school districtShares North Branch Public Schools with 6+ other towns.Split between districts2 State House districts cover North Branch; your street decides yours.
★ What stands out · Meetings

6 upcoming meetings at town hall

From North Branch’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.

Recent meetings

Go in person

Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.

Agenda portal ↗
Your share of the 2023 budget

About $857 per resident a year, or $2.35 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 29%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 46%Property taxes 21%Fees & charges 15%From the state 8%From the federal government 4%Interest, fines & other 2%Sales taxes 2%Other taxes & licenses 1%From other local governments <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $4.2 million; interest on debt $748,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $23.6 million.
Compared with similar places

$791 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

North Branch’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($791 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 51 Minnesota cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $995, and the middle half spent $700–$1,242. North Branch spent less than 65% of them.

Middle half of the group, $700–$1,242Median $995North Branch

Includes sewer and trash ($1.4 million), 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
51

Minnesota cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; North Branch itself left out).

Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 11% since 2022

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

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$8.6 million
2023$9.5 million

Per resident: 2022: $791 · 2023: $857.

City staff
33

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

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 $3,536 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.10% of the home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Sunrise Township$3,887
North Branch$3,536
Minnesota$3,357
Stacy$3,355
Harris$3,149
North Branch Township$2,996
$3,536
typical bill a year
1.10%
effective rate
$322,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in North Branch

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 337 residents

On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (11,113).

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

Police15
Fire0 + 20 pt
Roads & transportation10
Administration & buildings4 + 2 pt
Water & other utilities2
Parks & libraries1
Sewer & trash1
Other0 + 13 pt
33
full-time
35
part-time
$303,039
payroll for March 2025
$3.6M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$98,300
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
13
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.North Branch had 3.4 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 35 of the 51 Minnesota cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 4.6: North Branch had fewer than 71% 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

North Branch Public Schools

North Branch’s K–12 school district, shared with Stacy, Sunrise Township, Oxford Township, Amador Township, North Branch Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in North Branch →
$13,094
per pupil · MN $17,091
2,744
students
$77.1 million
long-term debt

Of the $13,094 per pupil, $7,808 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 31%State 65%Federal 5%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

North Branch’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Chisago County’s results35,601 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican64.7%23,047 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat33.4%11,894 votes

Others: 1.9% (660 votes).

Most votes in Chisago County: Donald J Trump

Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%

The county’s page

100% of North Branch lies in Chisago County. Every 2024 race in Chisago County is on the county’s page.

Chisago 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 North Branch

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for North Branch.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Minnesota HouseNorth Branch is split between 2 districts
    Max RymerJimmy Gordon
  3. 3
    Minnesota SenateState senator
    Mark Koran
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Tim Walz
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Pete Stauber
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Minnesota
    Amy KlobucharTina Smith
Find your state legislators by address ↗

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

Next door

How North Branch compares with the towns next door

North Branch spent $791 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $257 to $810. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

North Branch Township: $257 per resident (2022)Stacy: $725 per resident (2022)Sunrise Township: $279 per resident (2022)Harris: $810 per resident (2022)North Branch TownshipStacySunrise TownshipHarrisNorth Branch
Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
North Branch Township$257$2,996
Sunrise Township$279$3,887
Stacy$725$3,355
Harris$810$3,149
North Branch$791$3,536

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 North Branch’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about North Branch’s government

How much does North Branch spend per resident?

About $857 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 $791 was less than 65% of 51 Minnesota cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in North Branch?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,536 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.10% 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 North Branch’s government?

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

How did North Branch vote in 2024?

Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for North Branch alone. Chisago County, where 100% of North Branch lies, voted Trump 64.7%, Harris 33.4% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for North Branch?

33 full-time and 35 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $303,039 (about $3.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents North Branch in the state legislature?

North Branch is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Minnesota Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 28 (Mark Koran). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

When is the next public meeting in North Branch?

The next posted meeting is One-Time Event on Wednesday, November 4, at 6:30 pm in City Hall, 6408 Elm Street, from the city’s own agenda portal.

Ask neighbors about North Branch’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 →