How is Lena run?
Lena’s town government spent $69,000 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $515 per resident.
What stands out about how Lena is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Leake County School District
Lena’s K–12 school district, shared with Carthage, Walnut Grove. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,106 per pupil, $6,328 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.
Mississippi districts overall: 33% local, 45% state, 23% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $515 per resident a year, or $1.41 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 36%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$515 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Lena’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($515 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 98 Mississippi cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $453, and the middle half spent $216–$850. Lena spent more than 54% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Mississippi cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Lena itself left out).
No trend yet
Lena reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $514 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.47% of the home’s value, vs 0.72% across Mississippi.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Lena’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 Lena’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Lena →
Who’s in charge in Lena
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Lena’s votes are counted by county
Mississippi reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Lena alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Leake County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican61.4%5,143 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat38.0%3,182 votesOthers: 0.7% (55 votes).
Most votes in Leake County: Donald J Trump
Mississippi: Trump 60.9%, Harris 38.0%
100% of Lena lies in Leake County. Every 2024 race in Leake County is on the county’s page.
Leake 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 Lena.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Mississippi HouseState representatives
- 3Mississippi SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Mississippi
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Lena’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Lena’s government
How much does Lena spend per resident?
About $515 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $515 was more than 54% of 98 Mississippi cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Lena?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $514 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.47% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.72% across Mississippi. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Lena’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Lena yet.
How did Lena vote in 2024?
Mississippi counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Lena alone. Leake County, where 100% of Lena lies, voted Trump 61.4%, Harris 38.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Lena?
0 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $970 (about $11,640 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Lena in the state legislature?
State Senate District 18 (Lane Taylor) and State House District 27 (Kenji Holloway). The House district also covers parts of three neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Lena’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 →