Photo: MayorMetz · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Staples run?
Staples’ city government spent $3.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,152 per resident. Water and other utilities ($3.3 million) and the airport ($89,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Staples is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,152 per resident a year, or $3.16 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,152 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Staples’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,152 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 133 Minnesota cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,074, and the middle half spent $815–$1,405. Staples spent more than 55% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($522,000), 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Staples itself left out).
No trend yet
Staples reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,291 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.99% 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 Staples’ 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.
Tax bills are one input to Staples’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Staples →
Who’s in charge in Staples
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Staples’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on staples.govoffice.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 123 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 (3,068).
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.
Staples-Motley School District
Staples’ K–12 school district, shared with Aldrich, Becker Township, Byron Township, Fawn Lake Township, Motley and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,538 per pupil, $9,722 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.
Staples’ votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Staples alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Todd County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican75.8%10,392 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat22.4%3,072 votesOthers: 1.9% (254 votes).
Most votes in Todd County: Donald J Trump
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
71% of Staples lies in Todd County; the rest in Wadena County. Every 2024 race in Todd County is on the county’s page.
Todd 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 Staples.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: staples.govoffice.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 Staples compares with the towns next door
Staples spent $1,152 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Thomastown Township | $186 | $2,663 |
| Villard Township | $256 | $2,606 |
| Staples Township | $734 | $2,076 |
| Staples | $1,152 | $1,291 |
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 Staples’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Staples’ government
How much does Staples spend per resident?
About $1,152 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 $1,152 was more than 55% of 133 Minnesota cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Staples?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,291 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.99% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see staples.govoffice.com.
Who runs Staples’ government?
See staples.govoffice.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Staples yet.
How did Staples vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Staples alone. Todd County, where 71% of Staples lies, voted Trump 75.8%, Harris 22.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Staples?
25 full-time and 72 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $171,257 (about $2.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Staples 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 Staples’ 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 →