Photo: Own work · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Otter Tail Township run?
Otter Tail Township’s town government spent $178,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $368 per resident.
What stands out about how Otter Tail Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Henning Public School District
Otter Tail Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Henning, Henning Township, Vining, Folden Township, Inman Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,397 per pupil, $9,426 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.
Perham-Dent Public School District · $13,423 per pupil
Battle Lake Public School District · $15,169 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $368 per resident a year, or $1.01 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 70%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Otter Tail Township collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
$368 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
Otter Tail Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($368 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 1586 Minnesota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $366, and the middle half spent $247–$565. Otter Tail Township spent more than 50% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Minnesota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Otter Tail Township itself left out).
No trend yet
Otter Tail Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,171 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.71% 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 Otter Tail Township’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 Otter Tail Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Otter Tail Township →
Who’s in charge in Otter Tail Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Otter Tail Township’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Otter Tail Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Otter Tail County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican66.1%24,276 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat32.0%11,752 votesOthers: 1.9% (708 votes).
Most votes in Otter Tail County: Donald J Trump
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of Otter Tail Township lies in Otter Tail County. Every 2024 race in Otter Tail County is on the county’s page.
Otter Tail 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 Otter Tail Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 Otter Tail Township compares with the towns next door
Otter Tail Township spent $368 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $203 to $732. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Rush Lake Township | $203 | $2,465 |
| Leaf Lake Township | $269 | $2,086 |
| Amor Township | $405 | $2,568 |
| Ottertail | $732 | $2,590 |
| Girard Township | estimate | $3,320 |
| Otter Tail Township | $368 | $3,171 |
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 Otter Tail Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Otter Tail Township’s government
How much does Otter Tail Township spend per resident?
About $368 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 $368 was more than 50% of 1586 Minnesota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Otter Tail Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,171 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.71% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Otter Tail Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Otter Tail Township yet.
How did Otter Tail Township vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Otter Tail Township alone. Otter Tail County, where 100% of Otter Tail Township lies, voted Trump 66.1%, Harris 32.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Otter Tail Township?
0 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $5,204 (about $62,448 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Otter Tail Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 9 (Jordan Rasmusson) and State House District 9B (Tom Murphy). The House district also covers 76 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Otter Tail Township’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 →