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Town Hall · Stella

Stella spent more per resident in 2022 than 79% of similar cities

Stella’s village government spent $220,000 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $1,549 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
$220,000
year to September 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,549
In 2022: $1,549, more than 79% of 472 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of FY2022, reported
Village staff, 2022
1
full-time · 6 part-time · March payroll $6,636
Typical tax bill
$877
1.40% of home value · NE 1.49%

What stands out about how Stella is run

Read from the village’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,549 per resident, more than 79% 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 Humboldt Table Rock Steinauer Public Schools with 6+ other towns.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $877 a year: 1.40% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska.
Compared with similar places

$1,549 per resident in 2022: more than 79% of them

Stella’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,549 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. Stella spent more than 79% of them.

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

Includes sewer and trash ($60,000), 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; Stella itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,549 per resident a year, or $4.24 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 52%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 47%Utility sales 25%From the state 14%Property taxes 7%Other taxes & licenses 4%Interest, fines & other 4%From other local governments 1%
Not in the receipt.With the enterprises, the whole budget was $270,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $877 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.40% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Nebraska$3,549
Stella$877
$877
typical bill a year
1.40%
effective rate
$62,500
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Stella

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

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

One full-time village employee for every 142 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 (142).

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

Roads & transportation1
Sewer & trash0 + 2 pt
Water & other utilities0 + 2 pt
Administration & buildings0 + 1 pt
Parks & libraries0 + 1 pt
1
full-time
6
part-time
$6,636
payroll for March 2022
$79,632
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$49,100
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Stella had 7.0 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: Stella had more than 71% 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

Humboldt Table Rock Steinauer Public Schools

Stella’s K–12 school district, shared with Dawson, Humboldt, Table Rock, Steinauer, Shubert and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Stella →
$27,164
per pupil · NE $15,602
298
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $27,164 per pupil, $16,913 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 27%Federal 7%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Stella’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Richardson County’s results3,942 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican75.1%2,962 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat23.7%934 votes

Others: 1.2% (46 votes).

Most votes in Richardson County: Donald J Trump

Nebraska: Trump 59.3%, Harris 38.9%

The county’s page

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

Richardson 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 Stella

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Stella.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Nebraska SenateState senator
    Bob Hallstrom
  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 Stella’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Stella’s government

How much does Stella spend per resident?

About $1,549 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 $1,549 was more than 79% of 472 Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Stella?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $877 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.40% 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 Stella’s government?

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

How did Stella vote in 2024?

Nebraska counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Stella alone. Richardson County, where 100% of Stella lies, voted Trump 75.1%, Harris 23.7% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Stella?

1 full-time and 6 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $6,636 (about $79,632 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Stella in the state legislature?

State Senate District 1 (Bob Hallstrom). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Stella’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 →