Voltaire spent less per resident in 2022 than 98% of similar cities
Voltaire’s city government spent $8,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $182 per resident.
What stands out about how Voltaire is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$182 per resident in 2022: less than 98% of them
Voltaire’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($182 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 157 North Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $736, and the middle half spent $500–$1,012. Voltaire spent less than 98% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
North Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Voltaire itself left out).
About $182 per resident a year, or $0.50 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 50%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Voltaire collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
No trend yet
Voltaire reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,283 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.61% 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 Voltaire’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 Voltaire’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Voltaire →
Who’s in charge in Voltaire
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Velva Public School District 1
Voltaire’s K–12 school district, shared with Bergen, Bjornson Township, Brown Township, Butte, Cottonwood Lake Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,854 per pupil, $9,142 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.
Voltaire’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 Voltaire alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are McHenry County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican80.8%2,223 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat17.4%479 votesOthers: 1.8% (50 votes).
Most votes in McHenry County: Donald J Trump
North Dakota: Trump 67.0%, Harris 30.5%
100% of Voltaire lies in McHenry County. Every 2024 race in McHenry County is on the county’s page.
McHenry 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 Voltaire.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 Voltaire compares with the towns next door
Voltaire spent $182 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Voltaire Township | $65 | — |
| Brown Township | $157 | — |
| Lebanon Township | estimate | $1,281 |
| Voltaire | $182 | $1,283 |
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 Voltaire’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Voltaire’s government
How much does Voltaire spend per resident?
About $182 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $182 was less than 98% of 157 North Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Voltaire?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,283 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.61% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.99% across North Dakota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who runs Voltaire’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Voltaire yet.
How did Voltaire vote in 2024?
North Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Voltaire alone. McHenry County, where 100% of Voltaire lies, voted Trump 80.8%, Harris 17.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Voltaire?
0 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $172 (about $2,064 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Voltaire in the state legislature?
State Senate District 6 (Paul Thomas) and State House District 6 (Dan Vollmer and Dick Anderson). The House district also covers 170 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Voltaire’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 →