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Downtown Scottsbluff, NEPhoto: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Scottsbluff

Scottsbluff spent more per resident in 2022 than 86% of similar cities

Scottsbluff’s city government spent $44.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, about $3,133 per resident. Water and other utilities ($3.5 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Today

General election in Nebraska.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2024
$44.7M
year to September 30, 2024
Per resident, 2024
$3,133
In 2022: $2,126, more than 86% of 44 similar cities
Long-term debt
$4.5M
end of FY2024, reported
City staff, 2025
132
full-time · 19 part-time · March payroll $779,419
Typical tax bill
$2,124
1.54% of home value · NE 1.49%

What stands out about how Scottsbluff is run

Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.

Agendas posted online6 upcoming meetings posted, with agendas.Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $2,126 per resident, more than 86% of 44 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer20% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2024).Its own police and fire29 sworn officers and 16 full-time firefighters on the payroll.
★ What stands out · Meetings

6 upcoming meetings at town hall

From Scottsbluff’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.

Recent meetings

Go in person

Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.

Agenda portal ↗
Your share of the 2024 budget

About $3,133 per resident a year, or $8.58 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 15%.

Where the money comes from
Interest, fines & other 49%Sales taxes 21%Fees & charges 17%Utility sales 6%Property taxes 6%Other taxes & licenses 1%From the state <1%From the federal government <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $5.1 million; interest on debt $150,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $53.5 million.
About “Other”.54% of Scottsbluff’s day-to-day spending ($24 million) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Compared with similar places

$2,126 per resident in 2022: more than 86% of them

Scottsbluff’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,126 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 44 Nebraska cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,393, and the middle half spent $1,120–$1,704. Scottsbluff spent more than 86% of them.

Middle half of the group, $1,120–$1,704Median $1,393Scottsbluff

Includes sewer and trash ($5 million), 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
44

Nebraska cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Scottsbluff itself left out).

Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 46% since 2022

Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Scottsbluff reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$30.6 million
2023$17.9 million
2024$44.7 million

Per resident: 2022: $2,126 · 2023: $1,250 · 2024: $3,133.

City staff
132

full-time in March 2025, up from 126 in 2022.

Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,124 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.54% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Nebraska$3,549
Gering$2,955
Terrytown$2,383
Scottsbluff$2,124
$2,124
typical bill a year
1.54%
effective rate
$137,700
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Scottsbluff

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

See scottsbluff.org for Scottsbluff’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Scottsbluff yet.scottsbluff.org ↗
Who works for Scottsbluff

One full-time city employee for every 108 residents

On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (14,283).

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

Police33 + 5 pt
Parks & libraries22 + 9 pt
Sewer & trash23
Administration & buildings15 + 5 pt
Fire17
Roads & transportation14
Water & other utilities7
Housing & development1
132
full-time
19
part-time
$779,419
payroll for March 2025
$9.4M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$69,500
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
29
sworn police officers
16
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Scottsbluff had 8.8 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 30 of the 44 Nebraska cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 8.8: Scottsbluff had more than 50% 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

Scottsbluff Public Schools

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

Schools in Scottsbluff →
$14,843
per pupil · NE $15,602
3,445
students
$25.9 million
long-term debt

Of the $14,843 per pupil, $9,610 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 41%State 46%Federal 13%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Scottsbluff’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Scotts Bluff County’s results15,040 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican73.4%11,033 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat25.6%3,856 votes

Others: 1.0% (151 votes).

Most votes in Scotts Bluff County: Donald J Trump

Nebraska: Trump 59.3%, Harris 38.9%

The county’s page

100% of Scottsbluff lies in Scotts Bluff County. Every 2024 race in Scotts Bluff County is on the county’s page.

Scotts Bluff 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 Scottsbluff

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Scottsbluff.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: scottsbluff.org ↗
  2. 2
    Nebraska SenateState senator
    Brian Hardin
  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.

Next door

How Scottsbluff compares with the towns next door

Scottsbluff spent $2,126 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,869 to $1,884. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Gering: $1,884 per resident (2022)Terrytown: $1,869 per resident (2022)GeringTerrytownScottsbluff
Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Terrytown$1,869$2,383
Gering$1,884$2,955
Scottsbluff$2,126$2,124

Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).

Reach Scottsbluff’s government

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

The Handbook →
Official websitescottsbluff.org ↗

Questions about Scottsbluff’s government

How much does Scottsbluff spend per resident?

About $3,133 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $2,126 was more than 86% of 44 Nebraska cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Scottsbluff?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,124 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.54% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see scottsbluff.org.

Who runs Scottsbluff’s government?

See scottsbluff.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Scottsbluff yet.

How did Scottsbluff vote in 2024?

Nebraska counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Scottsbluff alone. Scotts Bluff County, where 100% of Scottsbluff lies, voted Trump 73.4%, Harris 25.6% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Scottsbluff?

132 full-time and 19 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $779,419 (about $9.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Scottsbluff in the state legislature?

State Senate District 48 (Brian Hardin). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

When is the next public meeting in Scottsbluff?

The next posted meeting is Planning Commission on Monday, November 9, at 6:00 pm in 2525 Circle Drive, from the city’s own agenda portal.

Ask neighbors about Scottsbluff’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 →