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Bertrand, Nebraska downtown 1Photo: Ammodramus · Public domain
Town Hall · Bertrand

Bertrand spent less per resident in 2022 than 83% of similar cities

Bertrand’s village government spent $473,000 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $679 per resident. Water and other utilities ($696,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Today

General election in Nebraska.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$473,000
year to September 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$679
In 2022: $679, less than 83% of 472 similar cities
Long-term debt
$3.5M
end of FY2022, reported
Village staff, 2022
6
full-time · 9 part-time · March payroll $22,391
Typical tax bill
$2,253
1.55% of home value · NE 1.49%

What stands out about how Bertrand is run

Read from the village’s budget and official records.

Spends less than most similar citiesIn 2022: $679 per resident, less than 83% of 472 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer71% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Bertrand Public Schools with 1 other town.Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $2,253 a year: 1.55% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska.
Compared with similar places

$679 per resident in 2022: less than 83% of them

Bertrand’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($679 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 $776–$1,452. Bertrand spent less than 83% of them.

Middle half of the group, $776–$1,452Median $1,038Bertrand

Includes sewer and trash ($129,000), 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; Bertrand itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $679 per resident a year, or $1.86 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 39%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 53%Property taxes 10%Interest, fines & other 10%Other taxes & licenses 10%Utility sales 8%From the state 5%Sales taxes 4%From other local governments <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $3.3 million; interest on debt $145,000; payments to other governments $68,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $4.7 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,253 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.55% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Nebraska$3,549
Bertrand$2,253
$2,253
typical bill a year
1.55%
effective rate
$145,100
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Bertrand

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

Check Bertrand’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Bertrand yet.
Who works for Bertrand

One full-time village employee for every 116 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (697).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Water & other utilities5 + 6 pt
Administration & buildings1 + 1 pt
Roads & transportation0 + 1 pt
Police0 + 1 pt
6
full-time
9
part-time
$22,391
payroll for March 2022
$268,692
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$36,000
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Bertrand had 8.6 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 364 of the 472 Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 4.0: Bertrand had more than 77% 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

Bertrand Public Schools

Bertrand’s K–12 school district, shared with Smithfield. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Bertrand →
$21,112
per pupil · NE $15,602
241
students
$1.1 million
long-term debt

Of the $21,112 per pupil, $12,469 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 76%State 21%Federal 3%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Bertrand’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Phelps County’s results4,965 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican83.7%4,158 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat15.3%758 votes

Others: 1.0% (49 votes).

Most votes in Phelps County: Donald J Trump

Nebraska: Trump 59.3%, Harris 38.9%

The county’s page

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

Phelps 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 Bertrand

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Bertrand.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Nebraska SenateState senator
    Dan Lonowski
  3. 3
    GovernorStatewide
    Jim Pillen
  4. 4
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Adrian Smith
  5. 5
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Nebraska
    Deb FischerPete Ricketts

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

Reach Bertrand’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Bertrand’s government

How much does Bertrand spend per resident?

About $679 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 $679 was less than 83% of 472 Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Bertrand?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,253 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.55% 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 Bertrand’s government?

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

How did Bertrand vote in 2024?

Nebraska counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Bertrand alone. Phelps County, where 100% of Bertrand lies, voted Trump 83.7%, Harris 15.3% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Bertrand?

6 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $22,391 (about $268,692 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Bertrand in the state legislature?

State Senate District 33 (Dan Lonowski). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Bertrand’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 →