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Town Hall · Ashland

Ashland spent less per resident in 2022 than 84% of similar cities

Ashland’s city government spent $2.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $1,036 per resident. Water and other utilities ($283,000) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Today

General election in Nebraska.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$2.8M
year to September 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,036
In 2022: $1,036, less than 84% of 32 similar cities
Long-term debt
$2.1M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2025
24
full-time · 35 part-time · March payroll $150,315
Typical tax bill
$3,311
1.33% of home value · NE 1.49%

What stands out about how Ashland is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$1,036 per resident in 2022: less than 84% of them

Ashland’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,036 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 32 Nebraska cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,409, and the middle half spent $1,112–$1,810. Ashland spent less than 84% of them.

Middle half of the group, $1,112–$1,810Median $1,409Ashland

Includes sewer and trash ($316,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
32

Nebraska cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Ashland itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,036 per resident a year, or $2.84 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: housing & development, at 18%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 36%Property taxes 22%Sales taxes 11%From the state 9%Utility sales 8%Other taxes & licenses 8%Interest, fines & other 6%From other local governments <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $1.6 million; interest on debt $113,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $4.8 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

Ashland reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

City staff
24

full-time in March 2025, up from 16 in 2022.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $3,311 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.33% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Nebraska$3,549
Ashland$3,311
$3,311
typical bill a year
1.33%
effective rate
$249,700
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Ashland’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.

Tax bills are one input to Ashland’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Ashland →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Ashland

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See ashland-ne.com for Ashland’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Ashland yet.ashland-ne.com ↗
Agendas

Ashland’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ashland-ne.com ↗.

Who works for Ashland

One full-time city employee for every 114 residents

On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (2,724).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025

Health & welfare0 + 20 pt
Administration & buildings6 + 5 pt
Roads & transportation6 + 1 pt
Police6
Parks & libraries2 + 3 pt
Fire0 + 6 pt
Sewer & trash2
Housing & development1
Water & other utilities1
24
full-time
35
part-time
$150,315
payroll for March 2025
$1.8M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$62,700
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
5
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Ashland had 5.9 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 24 of the 32 Nebraska cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 9.1: Ashland had fewer than 83% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Ashland-Greenwood Public Schools

Ashland’s K–12 school district, shared with Greenwood, Ashland Township, Memphis, Clear Creek Township, Marble Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Ashland →
$14,099
per pupil · NE $15,602
1,102
students
$74.7 million
long-term debt

Of the $14,099 per pupil, $8,650 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 74%State 23%Federal 3%

Nebraska districts overall: 56% local, 34% state, 10% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Ashland’s votes are counted by county

Nebraska reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Ashland alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Saunders County’s results.

President · Saunders County’s results13,565 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican72.6%9,854 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat26.2%3,558 votes

Others: 1.1% (153 votes).

Most votes in Saunders County: Donald J Trump

Nebraska: Trump 59.3%, Harris 38.9%

The county’s page

100% of Ashland lies in Saunders County. Every 2024 race in Saunders County is on the county’s page.

Saunders County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Ashland

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Ashland.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    Nebraska SenateState senator
  3. 3
    GovernorStatewide
  4. 4
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  5. 5
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Nebraska

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Ashland’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Ashland’s government

How much does Ashland spend per resident?

About $1,036 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 $1,036 was less than 84% of 32 Nebraska cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Ashland?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,311 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.33% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ashland-ne.com.

Who runs Ashland’s government?

See ashland-ne.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Ashland yet.

How did Ashland vote in 2024?

Nebraska counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Ashland alone. Saunders County, where 100% of Ashland lies, voted Trump 72.6%, Harris 26.2% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Ashland?

24 full-time and 35 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $150,315 (about $1.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Ashland in the state legislature?

State Senate District 23 (Jared Storm). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Ashland’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →