Sunburst spent more per resident in 2022 than 84% of similar cities
Sunburst’s town government spent $357,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,088 per resident. Water and other utilities ($123,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Sunburst is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,088 per resident in 2022: more than 84% of them
Sunburst’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,088 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 51 Montana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $804, and the middle half spent $431–$998. Sunburst spent more than 84% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($164,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Montana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Sunburst itself left out).
About $1,088 per resident a year, or $2.98 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 46%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Sunburst reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,385 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.99% of the home’s value, vs 0.72% across Montana.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Sunburst’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 Sunburst’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Sunburst →
Who’s in charge in Sunburst
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 109 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (328).
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.
Sunburst K-12 Schools
Sunburst’s K–12 school district, shared with Kevin. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $20,094 per pupil, $11,635 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.
Montana districts overall: 44% local, 39% state, 17% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Sunburst’s votes are counted by county
Montana reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Sunburst alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Toole County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican76.8%1,571 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat20.3%415 votesOthers: 2.9% (60 votes).
Most votes in Toole County: Donald J Trump
Montana: Trump 58.4%, Harris 38.5%
100% of Sunburst lies in Toole County. Every 2024 race in Toole County is on the county’s page.
Toole 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 Sunburst.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Montana HouseState representatives
- 3Montana SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Montana
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Sunburst’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Sunburst’s government
How much does Sunburst spend per resident?
About $1,088 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,088 was more than 84% of 51 Montana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Sunburst?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,385 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.99% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.72% across Montana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Sunburst’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Sunburst yet.
How did Sunburst vote in 2024?
Montana counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Sunburst alone. Toole County, where 100% of Sunburst lies, voted Trump 76.8%, Harris 20.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Sunburst?
3 full-time and 15 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $15,820 (about $189,840 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Sunburst in the state legislature?
State Senate District 9 (Butch Gillespie) and State House District 18 (Llew Jones). The House district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Sunburst’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 →