Valley spent more per resident in 2022 than 84% of similar cities
Valley’s city government spent $6 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, about $1,923 per resident. Water and other utilities ($533,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Valley is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,991 per resident in 2022: more than 84% of them
Valley’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,991 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 32 Nebraska cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,335, and the middle half spent $1,096–$1,738. Valley spent more than 84% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.2 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 →
Nebraska cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Valley itself left out).
About $1,923 per resident a year, or $5.27 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 16%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 4% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Valley reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,991 · 2023: $2,096 · 2024: $1,923. Per resident it went from $1,991 to $1,923 (down 3%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 2,928 to 3,140.
full-time in March 2025, up from 14 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $7,527 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.43% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Valley’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 Valley’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Valley →
Who’s in charge in Valley
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Valley’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on valleyne.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 165 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 (3,140).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Douglas County West Community Schools
Valley’s K–12 school district, shared with Waterloo. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,099 per pupil, $8,851 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.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Valley’s votes are counted by county
Nebraska reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Valley alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Douglas County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat54.4%148,733 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican44.2%120,919 votesOthers: 1.4% (3,751 votes).
Most votes in Douglas County: Kamala D Harris
Nebraska: Trump 59.3%, Harris 38.9%
100% of Valley lies in Douglas County. Every 2024 race in Douglas County is on the county’s page.
Douglas 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 Valley.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: valleyne.org ↗
- 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.
How Valley compares with the towns next door
Valley spent $1,991 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Leshara Township | $260 | $3,962 |
| Valley | $1,991 | $7,527 |
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 Valley’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Valley’s government
How much does Valley spend per resident?
About $1,923 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 $1,991 was more than 84% of 32 Nebraska cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Valley?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $7,527 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.43% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see valleyne.org.
Who runs Valley’s government?
See valleyne.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Valley yet.
How did Valley vote in 2024?
Nebraska counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Valley alone. Douglas County, where 100% of Valley lies, voted Harris 54.4%, Trump 44.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Valley?
19 full-time and 11 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $143,673 (about $1.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Valley in the state legislature?
State Senate District 15 (Woody Wordekemper). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Valley’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 →