Ross Lake Township spent more per resident in 2022 than 82% of similar towns
Ross Lake Township’s town government spent $123,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $728 per resident.
What stands out about how Ross Lake Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$659 per resident in 2022: more than 82% of them
Ross Lake Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($659 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. Ross Lake Township spent more than 82% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($10,000), 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 towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Ross Lake Township itself left out).
About $728 per resident a year, or $1.99 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 39%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Ross Lake Township collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
Day-to-day spending is up 6% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Ross Lake Township reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $659 · 2023: $728.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,852 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.51% 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 Ross Lake 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 Ross Lake Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Ross Lake Township →
Who’s in charge in Ross Lake Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Aitkin Public School District
Ross Lake Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Aitkin, Aitkin Township, Farm Island Township, Glen Township, Hazelton Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,000 per pupil, $10,158 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.
Crosby-Ironton Public School District · $15,715 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Ross Lake 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 Ross Lake Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Crow Wing County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican64.7%27,423 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat33.5%14,173 votesOthers: 1.8% (770 votes).
Most votes in Crow Wing County: Donald J Trump
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of Ross Lake Township lies in Crow Wing County. Every 2024 race in Crow Wing County is on the county’s page.
Crow Wing 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 Ross Lake 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 Ross Lake Township compares with the towns next door
Ross Lake Township spent $659 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $453 to $879. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Fairfield Township | $453 | $2,051 |
| Little Pine Township | $879 | $450 |
| Ross Lake Township | $659 | $1,852 |
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 Ross Lake Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Ross Lake Township’s government
How much does Ross Lake Township spend per resident?
About $728 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 $659 was more than 82% of 1586 Minnesota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Ross Lake Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,852 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.51% 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 Ross Lake Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Ross Lake Township yet.
How did Ross Lake Township vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Ross Lake Township alone. Crow Wing County, where 100% of Ross Lake Township lies, voted Trump 64.7%, Harris 33.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Ross Lake Township?
0 full-time and 11 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $3,658 (about $43,896 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Ross Lake Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 6 (Keri Heintzeman) and State House District 6A (Ben Davis). The House district also covers 45 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Ross Lake 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 →