How is Shell Lake Township run?
Shell Lake Township’s town government spent $93,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $296 per resident.
What stands out about how Shell Lake Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Frazee-Vergas Public School District
Shell Lake Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Frazee, Silver Leaf Township, Toad Lake Township, Vergas, Evergreen Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,793 per pupil, $9,339 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 $296 per resident a year, or $0.81 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 57%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$296 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
Shell Lake Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($296 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. Shell Lake Township spent less than 64% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2,000), 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; Shell Lake Township itself left out).
No trend yet
Shell Lake Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,649 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.56% 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 Shell 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 Shell Lake Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Shell Lake Township →
Who’s in charge in Shell Lake Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Shell 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 Shell Lake Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Becker County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican65.7%12,961 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat32.6%6,435 votesOthers: 1.7% (343 votes).
Most votes in Becker County: Donald J Trump
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of Shell Lake Township lies in Becker County. Every 2024 race in Becker County is on the county’s page.
Becker 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 Shell 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 Shell Lake Township compares with the towns next door
Shell Lake Township spent $296 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $216 to $1,094. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Toad Lake Township | $216 | $913 |
| Height of Land Township | $300 | $1,644 |
| Round Lake Township | $500 | $2,400 |
| Carsonville Township | $1,094 | $1,700 |
| Shell Lake Township | $296 | $1,649 |
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 Shell Lake Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Shell Lake Township’s government
How much does Shell Lake Township spend per resident?
About $296 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 $296 was less than 64% of 1586 Minnesota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Shell Lake Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,649 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.56% 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 Shell Lake Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Shell Lake Township yet.
How did Shell Lake Township vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Shell Lake Township alone. Becker County, where 100% of Shell Lake Township lies, voted Trump 65.7%, Harris 32.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Shell Lake Township?
0 full-time and 12 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $21,977 (about $263,724 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Shell Lake Township 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 Shell 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 →