How is Wise Township run?
Wise Township’s town government spent $33,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $717 per resident.
What stands out about how Wise Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Turtle Lake-Mercer Public School District 72
Wise Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Horseshoe Valley Township, Lake Williams Township, Medicine Hill Township, Mercer, Mercer Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,125 per pupil, $8,958 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.
About $717 per resident a year, or $1.96 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 79%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Wise Township collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
$717 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
Wise Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($717 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 806 North Dakota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $536, and the middle half spent $303–$1,000. Wise Township spent more than 63% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
North Dakota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Wise Township itself left out).
No trend yet
Wise Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,917 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.06% 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 Wise Township’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 Wise Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Wise Township →
Who’s in charge in Wise Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Wise Township’s votes are counted by county
North Dakota reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Wise Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are McLean County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican78.0%4,231 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat20.2%1,093 votesOthers: 1.8% (97 votes).
Most votes in McLean County: Donald J Trump
North Dakota: Trump 67.0%, Harris 30.5%
100% of Wise Township lies in McLean County. Every 2024 race in McLean County is on the county’s page.
McLean 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 Wise Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal 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 Wise Township compares with the towns next door
Wise Township spent $717 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $135 to $289. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine Hill Township | $135 | $1,188 |
| Prophets Township | $136 | — |
| Lake Williams Township | $154 | $2,000 |
| Mercer Township | $289 | — |
| Wise Township | $717 | $2,917 |
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 Wise Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Wise Township’s government
How much does Wise Township spend per resident?
About $717 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 $717 was more than 63% of 806 North Dakota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Wise Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,917 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.06% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.99% across North Dakota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Wise Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Wise Township yet.
How did Wise Township vote in 2024?
North Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Wise Township alone. McLean County, where 100% of Wise Township lies, voted Trump 78.0%, Harris 20.2% for president; its page has every race.
Who represents Wise Township 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 Wise Township’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 →