Photo: Paul Sableman · CC BY 2.0How is Odessa run?
Odessa’s city government spent $1.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, about $249 per resident. Water and other utilities ($37,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Odessa is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Odessa R-VII School District
Odessa’s K–12 school district, shared with Bates City, Lake Lafayette, Mayview. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,645 per pupil, $6,773 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.
Missouri districts overall: 54% local, 35% state, 11% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $249 per resident a year, or $0.68 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 90%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No comparison or trend for Odessa yet
The fair comparison uses 2022, the last year the Census Bureau counted every government (later years are a sample), and Odessa’s 2022 figures are a Census estimate (it reported none of its 2022 dollars). It reported 2023 only (2022 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet either. The next full count is 2027.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $1,844 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.77% of the home’s value, vs 0.85% across Missouri.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Odessa’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.
Tax bills are one input to Odessa’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Odessa →
Who’s in charge in Odessa
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Odessa’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofodessamo.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 140 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (5,585).
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.
Odessa’s votes are counted by county
Missouri reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Odessa alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Lafayette County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican73.7%12,720 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat24.9%4,294 votesOthers: 1.4% (234 votes).
Most votes in Lafayette County: Donald J Trump
Missouri: Trump 58.5%, Harris 40.1%
100% of Odessa lies in Lafayette County. Every 2024 race in Lafayette County is on the county’s page.
Lafayette 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 Odessa.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofodessamo.com ↗
- 2Missouri HouseOdessa is split between 2 districts
- 3Missouri SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Missouri
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Odessa’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Odessa’s government
How much does Odessa spend per resident?
About $249 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau.
What is the property tax rate in Odessa?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,844 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.77% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.85% across Missouri. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofodessamo.com.
Who runs Odessa’s government?
See cityofodessamo.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Odessa yet.
How did Odessa vote in 2024?
Missouri counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Odessa alone. Lafayette County, where 100% of Odessa lies, voted Trump 73.7%, Harris 24.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Odessa?
40 full-time and 15 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $172,190 (about $2.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Odessa in the state legislature?
Odessa is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Missouri Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 21 (Kurtis Gregory). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Odessa’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 →