Photo: Ammodramus · Public domainSurprise spent more per resident in 2022 than 94% of similar cities
Surprise’s village government spent $115,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $2,875 per resident.
What stands out about how Surprise is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$2,875 per resident in 2022: more than 94% of them
Surprise’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,875 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. Surprise spent more than 94% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Surprise itself left out).
About $2,875 per resident a year, or $7.88 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 52%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Surprise reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $729 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Surprise’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 Surprise’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Surprise →
Who’s in charge in Surprise
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Shelby-Rising City Public Schools
Surprise’s K–12 school district, shared with Rising City, Shelby, Reading Township, Summit Township, Read Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,978 per pupil, $10,983 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.
Nebraska districts overall: 56% local, 34% state, 10% federal.
David City Public Schools · $18,703 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Surprise’s votes are counted by county
Nebraska reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Surprise alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Butler County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican79.4%3,642 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat19.8%906 votesOthers: 0.9% (39 votes).
Most votes in Butler County: Donald J Trump
Nebraska: Trump 59.3%, Harris 38.9%
100% of Surprise lies in Butler County. Every 2024 race in Butler County is on the county’s page.
Butler County’s 2024 results →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.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Surprise.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Nebraska SenateState senator
- 3GovernorStatewide
- 4U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 5U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Nebraska
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Surprise’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Surprise’s government
How much does Surprise spend per resident?
About $2,875 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $2,875 was more than 94% of 472 Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Surprise’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Surprise yet.
How did Surprise vote in 2024?
Nebraska counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Surprise alone. Butler County, where 100% of Surprise lies, voted Trump 79.4%, Harris 19.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Surprise?
0 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $234 (about $2,808 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Surprise in the state legislature?
State Senate District 24 (Jana Hughes). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Surprise’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
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 →