Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Clarks

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
Town Hall · Clarks

Clarks spent less per resident in 2022 than 74% of similar cities

Clarks’ village government spent $272,000 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $788 per resident. Water and other utilities ($110,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Nebraska.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$272,000
year to September 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$788
In 2022: $788, less than 74% of 472 similar cities
Long-term debt
$448,000
end of FY2022, reported
Village staff, 2022
6
full-time · 4 part-time · March payroll $19,149
Typical tax bill
$1,345
1.25% of home value · NE 1.49%

What stands out about how Clarks is run

Read from the village’s budget and official records.

Spends less than most similar citiesIn 2022: $788 per resident, less than 74% of 472 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer41% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares High Plains Community Schools with 5 other towns.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $1,345 a year: 1.25% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska.
Compared with similar places

$788 per resident in 2022: less than 74% of them

Clarks’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($788 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. Clarks spent less than 74% of them.

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

Includes sewer and trash ($45,000), 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; Clarks itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $788 per resident a year, or $2.16 a day

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

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 31%Sales taxes 20%Property taxes 17%Fees & charges 15%From the state 14%From other local governments 2%Interest, fines & other 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $433,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $815,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,345 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.25% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Nebraska$3,549
Clarks$1,345
$1,345
typical bill a year
1.25%
effective rate
$107,600
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Clarks

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

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

One full-time village employee for every 58 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 (345).

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

Sewer & trash2
Water & other utilities2
Administration & buildings0 + 2 pt
Roads & transportation0 + 2 pt
Other2
6
full-time
4
part-time
$19,149
payroll for March 2022
$229,788
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$27,400
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Clarks had 17.4 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: Clarks had more than 94% 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

High Plains Community Schools

Clarks’ K–12 school district, shared with Hordville, Polk, Prairie Island Township, Clarksville Township, Central Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Clarks →
$26,712
per pupil · NE $15,602
212
students
$188,000
long-term debt

Of the $26,712 per pupil, $14,344 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 75%State 22%Federal 3%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Clarks’ votes are counted by county

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

President · Merrick County’s results4,342 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican81.8%3,551 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat16.8%730 votes

Others: 1.4% (61 votes).

Most votes in Merrick County: Donald J Trump

Nebraska: Trump 59.3%, Harris 38.9%

The county’s page

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

Merrick 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 Clarks

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Clarks.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Nebraska SenateState senator
    Loren Lippincott
  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 Clarks’ government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Clarks’ government

How much does Clarks spend per resident?

About $788 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 $788 was less than 74% of 472 Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Clarks?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,345 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.25% 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 Clarks’ government?

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

How did Clarks vote in 2024?

Nebraska counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Clarks alone. Merrick County, where 100% of Clarks lies, voted Trump 81.8%, Harris 16.8% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Clarks?

6 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $19,149 (about $229,788 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Clarks in the state legislature?

State Senate District 34 (Loren Lippincott). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Clarks’ 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 →