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Town Hall · Belen

How is Belen run?

Belen’s city government spent $13.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,772 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2.6 million) and the airport ($1.9 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Next public meeting

City Council

6:00 pm · 100 S Main

All meetings →
Day-to-day spending, 2024
$13.1M
year to June 30, 2024
Per resident, 2024
$1,772
In 2022: $1,690, more than 63% of 46 similar cities
Long-term debt
$6.0M
end of FY2024, reported
City staff, 2025
158
full-time · 0 part-time · March payroll $757,346
Typical tax bill
$1,216
0.73% of home value · NM 0.70%

What stands out about how Belen is run

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

Agendas posted online6 upcoming meetings posted, with agendas.Runs its own water & sewer35% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2024).A shared school districtShares Belen Consolidated Schools with 1 other town.Split between districts3 State House districts cover Belen; your street decides yours.
★ What stands out · Meetings

6 upcoming meetings at town hall

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

Recent meetings

  • Oct5
    City CouncilMonday · 6:00 pm · 100 S MainCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗
  • Oct5
    City CouncilMonday · 6:00 pm · 100 S MainCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗
  • Sep7
    City CouncilMonday · 6:00 pm · 100 S MainCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗
  • Sep7
    City CouncilMonday · 6:00 pm · 100 S MainCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗
  • Aug3
    City CouncilMonday · 6:00 pm · 100 S MainCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗
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 $1,772 per resident a year, or $4.85 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 27%.

Where the money comes from
Sales taxes 50%From the state 17%Fees & charges 16%Utility sales 8%Property taxes 7%From the federal government 1%Interest, fines & other 1%From other local governments <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $1.8 million; interest on debt $238,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $19.6 million.
Compared with similar places

$1,690 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

Belen’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,690 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 46 New Mexico cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,426, and the middle half spent $848–$2,116. Belen spent more than 63% of them.

Middle half of the group, $848–$2,116Median $1,426Belen

Includes sewer and trash ($3.5 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
46

New Mexico cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Belen itself left out).

Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 4% since 2022

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

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$12.7 million
2023$12.4 million
2024$13.1 million

Per resident: 2022: $1,690 · 2023: $1,667 · 2024: $1,772.

City staff
158

full-time in March 2025, up from 108 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 $1,216 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.73% of the home’s value, vs 0.70% across New Mexico.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

New Mexico$1,731
Los Chaves$1,637
Sausal$1,425
Belen$1,216
Jarales$780
$1,216
typical bill a year
0.73%
effective rate
$166,100
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Belen

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

See belen-nm.gov for Belen’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Belen yet.belen-nm.gov ↗
Who works for Belen

One full-time city employee for every 47 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 (7,414).

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

Fire52
Police23
Parks & libraries20
Administration & buildings16
Roads & transportation14
Sewer & trash10
Water & other utilities9
Courts, inspections & corrections4
Health & welfare2
Other8
158
full-time
0
part-time
$757,346
payroll for March 2025
$9.1M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$57,500
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
19
sworn police officers
17
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Belen had 14.4 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 36 of the 46 New Mexico cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 12.2: Belen had more than 64% 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

Belen Consolidated Schools

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

Schools in Belen →
$17,283
per pupil · NM $17,681
3,564
students
$27.9 million
long-term debt

Of the $17,283 per pupil, $8,594 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 14%State 66%Federal 20%

New Mexico districts overall: 17% local, 64% state, 20% federal.

Also serving Belen

Los Lunas Public Schools · $15,991 per pupil

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Belen’s votes are counted by county

New Mexico reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Belen alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Valencia County’s results.

President · Valencia County’s results32,860 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican58.0%19,057 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat41.4%13,609 votes

Others: 0.6% (194 votes).

Most votes in Valencia County: Donald J Trump

New Mexico: Harris 51.9%, Trump 45.9%

The county’s page

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

Valencia 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 Belen

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Belen.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: belen-nm.gov ↗
  2. 2
    New Mexico HouseBelen is split between 3 districts
    Gail ArmstrongTanya MoyaBrian Baca
  3. 3
    New Mexico SenateState senator
    Angel CharleyJoshua Sanchez
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Michelle Lujan Grisham
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Gabe Vasquez
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New Mexico
    Martin HeinrichBen Ray Luján
Find your state legislators by address ↗

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Belen compares with the towns next door

Belen spent $1,690 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Sausal: unincorporated, no town budgetLos Chaves: unincorporated, no town budgetJarales: unincorporated, no town budgetPueblitos: unincorporated, no town budgetSausalLos ChavesJaralesPueblitosBelen
Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Belen$1,690$1,216

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 Belen’s government

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

The Handbook →
Official websitebelen-nm.gov ↗

Questions about Belen’s government

How much does Belen spend per resident?

About $1,772 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,690 was more than 63% of 46 New Mexico cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Belen?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,216 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.73% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across New Mexico. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see belen-nm.gov.

Who runs Belen’s government?

See belen-nm.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Belen yet.

How did Belen vote in 2024?

New Mexico counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Belen alone. Valencia County, where 100% of Belen lies, voted Trump 58.0%, Harris 41.4% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Belen?

158 full-time and 0 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $757,346 (about $9.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Belen in the state legislature?

Belen is split among 3 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The New Mexico Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

When is the next public meeting in Belen?

The next posted meeting is City Council on Monday, November 2, at 6:00 pm in 100 S Main, from the city’s own agenda portal.

Ask neighbors about Belen’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 →