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Tatum New Mexico Community LibraryPhoto: AllenS · Public domain
Town Hall · Tatum

Tatum spent more per resident in 2022 than 93% of similar cities

Tatum’s town government spent $2.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $3,314 per resident.

Election Day

Today

General election in New Mexico.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$2.7M
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$3,314
In 2022: $3,314, more than 93% of 28 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of FY2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
16
full-time · 5 part-time · March payroll $79,415
Typical tax bill
$671
0.60% of home value · NM 0.70%

What stands out about how Tatum is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $3,314 per resident, more than 93% of 28 similar cities.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $671 a year: 0.60% of the home’s value, vs 0.70% across New Mexico.
Compared with similar places

$3,314 per resident in 2022: more than 93% of them

Tatum’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,314 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 $1,474, and the middle half spent $804–$2,158. Tatum spent more than 93% of them.

Middle half of the group, $804–$2,158Median $1,474Tatum

Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
28

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

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $3,314 per resident a year, or $9.08 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 13%.

Where the money comes from
Interest, fines & other 36%From the state 23%Utility sales 17%Sales taxes 16%From other local governments 5%From the federal government 3%Property taxes 1%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $90,000; interest on debt $2,000. With these, the whole budget was $2.8 million.
About “Other”.69% of Tatum’s day-to-day spending ($1.9 million) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $671 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.60% 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
Tatum$671
$671
typical bill a year
0.60%
effective rate
$111,200
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Tatum

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

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

One full-time town employee for every 52 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 (829).

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

Police5
Administration & buildings4 + 1 pt
Water & other utilities3
Health & welfare2 + 1 pt
Parks & libraries2
Courts, inspections & corrections0 + 2 pt
Fire0 + 1 pt
16
full-time
5
part-time
$79,415
payroll for March 2022
$952,980
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$58,000
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
4
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Tatum had 19.3 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 22 of the 28 New Mexico cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 13.2: Tatum had more than 77% 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

Tatum Municipal Schools

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

Schools in Tatum →
$20,141
per pupil · NM $17,681
313
students
$3.2 million
long-term debt

Of the $20,141 per pupil, $11,099 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 22%State 75%Federal 3%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Tatum’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Lea County’s results20,982 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican81.0%16,997 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat18.7%3,929 votes

Others: 0.3% (56 votes).

Most votes in Lea County: Donald J Trump

New Mexico: Harris 51.9%, Trump 45.9%

The county’s page

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

Lea 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 Tatum

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Tatum.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    New Mexico HouseState representatives
    Jimmy Mason
  3. 3
    New Mexico SenateState senator
    Pat Boone
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Michelle Lujan Grisham
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Teresa Leger Fernandez
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New Mexico
    Martin HeinrichBen Ray Luján

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

Reach Tatum’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Tatum’s government

How much does Tatum spend per resident?

About $3,314 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 $3,314 was more 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 Tatum?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $671 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.60% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across New Mexico. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.

Who runs Tatum’s government?

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

How did Tatum vote in 2024?

New Mexico counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Tatum alone. Lea County, where 100% of Tatum lies, voted Trump 81.0%, Harris 18.7% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Tatum?

16 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $79,415 (about $952,980 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Tatum in the state legislature?

State Senate District 27 (Pat Boone) and State House District 66 (Jimmy Mason). The House district also covers parts of four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Tatum’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 →