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Menter FarmsteadMenter Farmstead · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0
Town Hall · Big Springs

Big Springs spent more per resident in 2022 than 78% of similar cities

Big Springs’ village government spent $586,000 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $1,546 per resident. Water and other utilities ($59,000) are counted separately.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$586,000
year to September 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,546
In 2022: $1,546, more than 78% of 472 similar cities
Long-term debt
$1.4M
end of FY2022, reported
Village staff, 2022
2
full-time · 8 part-time · March payroll $14,202
Typical tax bill
$1,288
1.34% of home value · NE 1.49%

What stands out about how Big Springs is run

Read from the village’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,546 per resident, more than 78% of 472 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer30% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares South Platte Public Schools with 1 other town.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $1,288 a year: 1.34% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska.
Compared with similar places

$1,546 per resident in 2022: more than 78% of them

Big Springs’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,546 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–$1,450. Big Springs spent more than 78% of them.

Middle half of the group, $774–$1,450Median $1,038Big Springs

Includes sewer and trash ($135,000), 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; Big Springs itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,546 per resident a year, or $4.24 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 32%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 49%Sales taxes 12%Property taxes 12%Other taxes & licenses 8%Utility sales 8%From the state 6%Interest, fines & other 5%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $365,000; interest on debt $157,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $1.2 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,288 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.34% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Nebraska$3,549
Big Springs$1,288
$1,288
typical bill a year
1.34%
effective rate
$96,200
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Big Springs

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

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

One full-time village employee for every 190 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 (379).

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

Administration & buildings0 + 6 pt
Parks & libraries0 + 2 pt
Other2
2
full-time
8
part-time
$14,202
payroll for March 2022
$170,424
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$61,600
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Big Springs had 5.3 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: Big Springs had more than 60% 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

South Platte Public Schools

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

Schools in Big Springs →
$22,104
per pupil · NE $15,602
230
students
$4.5 million
long-term debt

Of the $22,104 per pupil, $12,430 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 61%State 26%Federal 12%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Big Springs’ votes are counted by county

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

President · Deuel County’s results1,012 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican83.3%843 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat14.9%151 votes

Others: 1.8% (18 votes).

Most votes in Deuel County: Donald J Trump

Nebraska: Trump 59.3%, Harris 38.9%

The county’s page

100% of Big Springs lies in Deuel County. Every 2024 race in Deuel County is on the county’s page.

Deuel 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 Big Springs

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Big Springs.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Nebraska SenateState senator
    Paul Strommen
  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 Big Springs’ government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Big Springs’ government

How much does Big Springs spend per resident?

About $1,546 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 $1,546 was more than 78% of 472 Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Big Springs?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,288 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.34% 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 Big Springs’ government?

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

How did Big Springs vote in 2024?

Nebraska counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Big Springs alone. Deuel County, where 100% of Big Springs lies, voted Trump 83.3%, Harris 14.9% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Big Springs?

2 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $14,202 (about $170,424 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Big Springs in the state legislature?

State Senate District 47 (Paul Strommen). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Big Springs’ 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 →