Photo: Famartin · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Wells run?
Wells’ city government spent $1.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,149 per resident.
What stands out about how Wells is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Elko County School District
Wells’ K–12 school district, shared with Carlin, Elko, West Wendover. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,883 per pupil, $8,479 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.
Nevada districts overall: 16% local, 70% state, 14% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $1,149 per resident a year, or $3.15 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 38%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No comparison or trend for Wells yet
The fair comparison uses 2022, the last year the Census Bureau counted every government (later years are a sample), and Wells’ 2022 figures are a Census estimate (it reported none of its 2022 dollars). It reported 2024 only (2022 and 2023 are estimates), so there is no trend yet either. The next full count is 2027.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $837 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.41% of the home’s value, vs 0.47% across Nevada.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Wells’ 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 Wells’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Wells →
Who’s in charge in Wells
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Wells’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofwellsnv.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 96 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (1,251).
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.
Wells’ votes are counted by county
Nevada reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Wells alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Elko County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican77.2%17,343 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat20.6%4,630 votesOthers: 2.1% (481 votes).
Most votes in Elko County: Donald J Trump
Nevada: Trump 50.6%, Harris 47.5%
100% of Wells lies in Elko County. Every 2024 race in Elko County is on the county’s page.
Elko 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 Wells.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofwellsnv.com ↗
- 2Nevada AssemblyState representatives
- 3Nevada SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Nevada
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Wells’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Wells’ government
How much does Wells spend per resident?
About $1,149 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau.
What is the property tax rate in Wells?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $837 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.41% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.47% across Nevada. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofwellsnv.com.
Who runs Wells’ government?
See cityofwellsnv.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Wells yet.
How did Wells vote in 2024?
Nevada counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Wells alone. Elko County, where 100% of Wells lies, voted Trump 77.2%, Harris 20.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Wells?
13 full-time and 10 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $60,941 (about $731,292 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Wells in the state legislature?
State Senate District 19 (John Ellison) and Assembly District 33 (Bert Gurr). The Assembly district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Wells’ 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 →