Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 4.0How is Pine River run?
Pine River’s city government spent $948,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,016 per resident. Water and other utilities ($88,000) and the airport ($163,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Pine River is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Pine River-Backus Public School District
Pine River’s K–12 school district, shared with Ansel Township, Backus, Barclay Township, Bull Moose Township, Bungo Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,258 per pupil, $9,315 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.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $1,016 per resident a year, or $2.78 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 32%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,016 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Pine River’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,016 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 $1,112, and the middle half spent $740–$1,505. Pine River spent less than 58% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Pine River itself left out).
No trend yet
Pine River reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,644 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.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Pine River’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 Pine River’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Pine River →
Who’s in charge in Pine River
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Pine River’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on pinerivermn.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 78 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 (933).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Pine River’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Pine River alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Cass County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican65.9%12,759 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat32.5%6,300 votesOthers: 1.6% (304 votes).
Most votes in Cass County: Donald J Trump
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of Pine River lies in Cass County. Every 2024 race in Cass County is on the county’s page.
Cass 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 Pine River.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: pinerivermn.com ↗
- 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 Pine River compares with the towns next door
Pine River spent $1,016 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.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Barclay Township | $92 | $1,163 |
| Walden Township | $179 | $1,044 |
| Chickamaw Beach | $200 | $1,396 |
| Pine River Township | $214 | $1,287 |
| Wilson Township | estimate | $1,082 |
| Pine River | $1,016 | $1,644 |
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 Pine River’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Pine River’s government
How much does Pine River spend per resident?
About $1,016 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 $1,016 was less than 58% of 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Pine River?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,644 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 pinerivermn.com.
Who runs Pine River’s government?
See pinerivermn.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Pine River yet.
How did Pine River vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Pine River alone. Cass County, where 100% of Pine River lies, voted Trump 65.9%, Harris 32.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Pine River?
12 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $44,129 (about $529,548 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Pine River in the state legislature?
State Senate District 5 (Paul Utke) and State House District 5A (Krista Knudsen). The House district also covers 74 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Pine River’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 →