Red Lake County Courthouse · Photo: Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant) · CC BY-SA 2.5How is Red Lake Falls run?
Red Lake Falls’ city government spent $1.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,001 per resident. Water and other utilities ($322,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Red Lake Falls is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,001 per resident a year, or $2.74 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 29%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,001 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Red Lake Falls’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,001 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. Red Lake Falls spent less than 60% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($405,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Red Lake Falls itself left out).
No trend yet
Red Lake Falls reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,231 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.60% 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 Red Lake Falls’ 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 Red Lake Falls’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Red Lake Falls →
Who’s in charge in Red Lake Falls
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Red Lake Falls’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on redlakefalls.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 282 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 (1,409).
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.
Red Lake Falls Public School District
Red Lake Falls’ K–12 school district, shared with Lake Pleasant Township, Red Lake Falls Township, Wylie Township, Louisville Township, Browns Creek Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,486 per pupil, $11,131 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.
Red Lake Falls’ votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Red Lake Falls alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Red Lake County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican67.3%1,425 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat30.3%642 votesOthers: 2.3% (49 votes).
Most votes in Red Lake County: Donald J Trump
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of Red Lake Falls lies in Red Lake County. Every 2024 race in Red Lake County is on the county’s page.
Red Lake 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 Red Lake Falls.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: redlakefalls.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.
Reach Red Lake Falls’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Red Lake Falls’ government
How much does Red Lake Falls spend per resident?
About $1,001 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 $1,001 was less than 60% of 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Red Lake Falls?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,231 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.60% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see redlakefalls.com.
Who runs Red Lake Falls’ government?
See redlakefalls.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Red Lake Falls yet.
How did Red Lake Falls vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Red Lake Falls alone. Red Lake County, where 100% of Red Lake Falls lies, voted Trump 67.3%, Harris 30.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Red Lake Falls?
5 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $23,173 (about $278,076 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Red Lake Falls in the state legislature?
State Senate District 1 (Mark Johnson) and State House District 1B (Steve Gander). The House district also covers 126 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Red Lake Falls’ 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 →