Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Bee

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
States BallroomStates Ballroom · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0
Town Hall · Bee

How is Bee run?

Bee’s village government spent $180,000 on day-to-day services in the year to July 31, 2022, about $1,000 per resident. Water and other utilities ($50,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Nebraska.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$180,000
year to July 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,000
In 2022: $1,000, less than 54% of 472 similar cities
Long-term debt
$20,000
end of FY2022, reported
Village staff, 2022
0
full-time · 8 part-time · March payroll $2,765
Typical tax bill
$1,767
1.18% of home value · NE 1.49%

What stands out about how Bee is run

Read from the village’s budget and official records.

★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,000 per resident a year, or $2.74 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 31%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 58%Other taxes & licenses 16%Interest, fines & other 10%Utility sales 8%Property taxes 5%From the state 4%From other local governments <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $1 million; interest on debt $1,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $1.3 million.
Compared with similar places

$1,000 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

Bee’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,000 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 472 Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,038, and the middle half spent $774–$1,452. Bee spent less than 54% of them.

Middle half of the group, $774–$1,452Median $1,038Bee

Includes sewer and trash ($40,000), 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
472

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

Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,767 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.18% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Nebraska$3,549
Bee$1,767
$1,767
typical bill a year
1.18%
effective rate
$150,000
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Bee’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 Bee’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bee →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Bee

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

Check Bee’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Bee yet.
The school district

Seward Public Schools

Bee’s K–12 school district, shared with Garland, Goehner, Seward, Staplehurst, Ulysses and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Bee →
$14,245
per pupil · NE $15,602
1,471
students
$11.6 million
long-term debt

Of the $14,245 per pupil, $9,244 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 67%State 28%Federal 5%

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

Also serving Bee

East Butler Public Schools · $25,742 per pupil

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Bee’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Seward County’s results9,184 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican72.6%6,667 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat26.0%2,388 votes

Others: 1.4% (129 votes).

Most votes in Seward County: Donald J Trump

Nebraska: Trump 59.3%, Harris 38.9%

The county’s page

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

Seward 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 Bee

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Bee.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  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 Bee’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Bee’s government

How much does Bee spend per resident?

About $1,000 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to July 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,000 was less than 54% of 472 Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Bee?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,767 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.18% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the village’s assessor.

Who runs Bee’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bee yet.

How did Bee vote in 2024?

Nebraska counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Bee alone. Seward County, where 100% of Bee lies, voted Trump 72.6%, Harris 26.0% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Bee?

0 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $2,765 (about $33,180 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Bee in the state legislature?

State Senate District 24 (Jana Hughes). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Bee’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 →