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ElimElim · Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Bethel

How is Bethel run?

Bethel’s village government spent $38,000 on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2022, about $339 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Bethel didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.

Town website
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$38,000
year to March 31, 2022 · Census estimate
Per resident, 2022
$339
Census estimate · not compared
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of FY2022 · Census estimate
Village staff, 2022
0
full-time · 8 part-time · March payroll $1,103 · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$650
1.02% of home value · MO 0.85%

What stands out about how Bethel is run

Read from the village’s budget and official records.

The school district

North Shelby School District

Bethel’s K–12 school district, shared with Leonard, Shelbyville. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Bethel →
$17,520
per pupil · MO $14,569
294
students
$2.8 million
long-term debt

Of the $17,520 per pupil, $10,139 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 49%State 36%Federal 16%

Missouri districts overall: 54% local, 35% state, 11% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $339 per resident a year, or $0.93 a day

Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: police, at 45%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 21%From the state 21%Sales taxes 20%Fees & charges 16%Property taxes 14%Other taxes & licenses 7%Interest, fines & other 2%
An estimate

Bethel didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.

Not in the receipt.Building projects $2,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $42,000.
Compared with similar places · Over the years

No comparison or trend for Bethel yet

Every year of Bethel’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the village reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.

How Town Hall compares budgets →
Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $650 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.02% of the home’s value, vs 0.85% across Missouri.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Missouri$1,948
Bethel$650
$650
typical bill a year
1.02%
effective rate
$63,800
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Bethel’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 Bethel’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bethel →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Bethel

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See bethel.macaa.net/vp/upVau/welcome.html for Bethel’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Bethel yet.bethel.macaa.net/vp/upVau/welcome.html ↗
Agendas

Bethel’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The village posts agendas and minutes on bethel.macaa.net/vp/upVau/welcome.html ↗.

Elections · 2024 general election

Bethel’s votes are counted by county

Missouri reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Bethel alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Shelby County’s results.

President · Shelby County’s results3,262 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican82.5%2,691 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat16.9%550 votes

Others: 0.6% (21 votes).

Most votes in Shelby County: Donald J Trump

Missouri: Trump 58.5%, Harris 40.1%

The county’s page

100% of Bethel lies in Shelby County. Every 2024 race in Shelby County is on the county’s page.

Shelby County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Bethel

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Bethel.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    Missouri HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Missouri SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Missouri

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Bethel’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Bethel’s government

How much does Bethel spend per resident?

About $339 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Bethel didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $42,000.

What is the property tax rate in Bethel?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $650 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.02% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.85% across Missouri. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see bethel.macaa.net/vp/upVau/welcome.html.

Who runs Bethel’s government?

See bethel.macaa.net/vp/upVau/welcome.html for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bethel yet.

How did Bethel vote in 2024?

Missouri counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Bethel alone. Shelby County, where 100% of Bethel lies, voted Trump 82.5%, Harris 16.9% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Bethel?

0 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1,103 (about $13,236 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Bethel in the state legislature?

State Senate District 18 (Cindy O'Laughlin) and State House District 4 (Greg Sharpe). The House district also covers 35 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Bethel’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 (for Bethel, the Bureau’s estimates); 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 →