Photo: Calvin Beale · Public domainHow is Finley run?
Finley’s city government spent $535,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $1,338 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Finley didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how Finley is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,338 per resident a year, or $3.67 a day
Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 37%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Finley didn’t report all of its 2023 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.
No comparison or trend for Finley yet
Every year of Finley’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the city reported none of its dollars for 2022–2023. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $958 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.36% of the home’s value, vs 0.99% across North Dakota.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Finley’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 Finley’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Finley →
Who’s in charge in Finley
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Finley’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on finleynd.com ↗.
Finley-Sharon Public School District 19
Finley’s K–12 school district, shared with Finley Township, Franklin Township, Greenview Township, Sharon, Easton Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $28,259 per pupil, $16,212 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.
North Dakota districts overall: 40% local, 46% state, 14% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Finley’s votes are counted by county
North Dakota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Finley alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Steele County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican61.3%622 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat36.2%367 votesOthers: 2.6% (26 votes).
Most votes in Steele County: Donald J Trump
North Dakota: Trump 67.0%, Harris 30.5%
100% of Finley lies in Steele County. Every 2024 race in Steele County is on the county’s page.
Steele 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 Finley.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: finleynd.com ↗
- 2North Dakota HouseState representatives
- 3North Dakota SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of North Dakota
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Finley compares with the towns next door
Finley’s own figures are Census estimates, so it isn’t placed among its neighbors. 2 of the 2 towns next door reported 2022 figures, from $431 to $769 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Finley Township | $431 | $1,583 |
| Franklin Township | $769 | — |
| Finley | estimate | $958 |
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 Finley’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Finley’s government
How much does Finley spend per resident?
About $1,338 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, a Census Bureau estimate (Finley didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $680,000.
What is the property tax rate in Finley?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $958 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.36% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.99% across North Dakota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see finleynd.com.
Who runs Finley’s government?
See finleynd.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Finley yet.
How did Finley vote in 2024?
North Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Finley alone. Steele County, where 100% of Finley lies, voted Trump 61.3%, Harris 36.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Finley?
0 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $3,510 (about $42,120 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Finley in the state legislature?
State Senate District 29 (Terry Wanzek) and State House District 29 (Craig Headland and Don Vigesaa). The House district also covers 162 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Finley’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 (for Finley, 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 →