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Town Hall · Pillager

Pillager spent more per resident in 2022 than 68% of similar cities

Pillager’s city government spent $664,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,366 per resident. Water and other utilities ($188,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Minnesota.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$664,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,366
In 2022: $1,366, more than 68% of 619 similar cities
Long-term debt
$590,000
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2022
4
full-time · 1 part-time · March payroll $17,289
Typical tax bill
$1,639
0.91% of home value · MN 1.02%

What stands out about how Pillager is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$1,366 per resident in 2022: more than 68% of them

Pillager’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,366 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–$1,505. Pillager spent more than 68% of them.

Middle half of the group, $740–$1,505Median $1,111Pillager

Includes sewer and trash ($160,000), 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
619

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

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,366 per resident a year, or $3.74 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 24%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 31%Fees & charges 28%From the state 22%Utility sales 11%Interest, fines & other 4%From the federal government 2%Other taxes & licenses 2%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $115,000; interest on debt $32,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $1 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,639 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.91% of the home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Minnesota$3,357
Rosing Township$2,594
Sylvan Township$1,890
Pillager$1,639
$1,639
typical bill a year
0.91%
effective rate
$180,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Pillager

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 122 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 (486).

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

Police1 + 1 pt
Administration & buildings1
Roads & transportation1
Water & other utilities1
4
full-time
1
part-time
$17,289
payroll for March 2022
$207,468
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$46,800
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
1
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Pillager had 8.2 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: Pillager had more than 80% 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

Pillager Public School District

Pillager’s K–12 school district, shared with Fairview Township, Rosing Township, Sylvan Township, Scandia Valley Township, Home Brook Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Pillager →
$13,305
per pupil · MN $17,091
1,291
students
$24.5 million
long-term debt

Of the $13,305 per pupil, $8,559 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 22%State 75%Federal 4%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Pillager’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Cass County’s results19,363 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican65.9%12,759 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat32.5%6,300 votes

Others: 1.6% (304 votes).

Most votes in Cass County: Donald J Trump

Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%

The county’s page

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

Cass 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 Pillager

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Pillager.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  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 Pillager compares with the towns next door

Pillager spent $1,366 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
Rosing Township$230$2,594
Sylvan Township$283$1,890
Pillager$1,366$1,639

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 Pillager’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Pillager’s government

How much does Pillager spend per resident?

About $1,366 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 $1,366 was more than 68% of 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Pillager?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,639 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.91% 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 Pillager’s government?

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

How did Pillager vote in 2024?

Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Pillager alone. Cass County, where 100% of Pillager lies, voted Trump 65.9%, Harris 32.5% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Pillager?

4 full-time and 1 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $17,289 (about $207,468 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Pillager in the state legislature?

State Senate District 5 (Paul Utke) and State House District 5B (Mike Wiener). The House district also covers 60 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Pillager’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 →