Foster Hotel · Photo: MRobison · CC BY-SA 3.0Chama spent less per resident in 2022 than 93% of similar cities
Chama’s village government spent $1.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $1,249 per resident. Water and other utilities ($862,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Chama is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$477 per resident in 2022: less than 93% of them
Chama’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($477 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 28 New Mexico cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,528, and the middle half spent $882–$2,395. Chama spent less than 93% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($118,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
New Mexico cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Chama itself left out).
About $1,249 per resident a year, or $3.42 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 45%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 144% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Chama 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: $477 · 2023: $1,249. Per resident it went from $477 to $1,249 (up 162%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 976 to 912.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,006 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.53% of the home’s value, vs 0.70% across New Mexico.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Chama’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 Chama’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Chama →
Who’s in charge in Chama
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Chama’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The village posts agendas and minutes on chamavillage.com ↗.
One full-time village employee for every 130 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (912).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Chama Valley Independent Schools
Chama’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $27,237 per pupil, $14,702 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.
New Mexico districts overall: 17% local, 64% state, 20% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Chama’s votes are counted by county
New Mexico reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Chama alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Rio Arriba County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat59.6%9,372 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican39.8%6,266 votesOthers: 0.6% (99 votes).
Most votes in Rio Arriba County: Kamala D Harris
New Mexico: Harris 51.9%, Trump 45.9%
100% of Chama lies in Rio Arriba County. Every 2024 race in Rio Arriba County is on the county’s page.
Rio Arriba 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 Chama.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: chamavillage.com ↗
- 2New Mexico HouseState representativesDistrict 41
- 3New Mexico SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New Mexico
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Chama’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Chama’s government
How much does Chama spend per resident?
About $1,249 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $477 was less than 93% of 28 New Mexico cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Chama?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,006 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.53% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across New Mexico. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see chamavillage.com.
Who runs Chama’s government?
See chamavillage.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Chama yet.
How did Chama vote in 2024?
New Mexico counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Chama alone. Rio Arriba County, where 100% of Chama lies, voted Harris 59.6%, Trump 39.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Chama?
7 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $46,130 (about $553,560 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Chama in the state legislature?
State Senate District 22 (Benny Shendo) and State House District 41. The House district also covers two neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Chama’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 →