Photo: Nyttend · Public domainHow is Gratis run?
Gratis’ village government spent $1.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,785 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Gratis didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how Gratis is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
About $1,785 per resident a year, or $4.89 a day
Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: health & welfare, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Gratis didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.
No comparison or trend for Gratis yet
Every year of Gratis’ figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the village reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $1,286 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.83% of the home’s value, vs 1.31% across Ohio.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Gratis’ 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 Gratis’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Gratis →
Who’s in charge in Gratis
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Gratis’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The village posts agendas and minutes on gratisohio.org ↗.
One full-time village employee for every 169 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 (847).
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.
Preble Shawnee Local School District
Gratis’ K–12 school district, shared with Camden, West Elkton, Gratis Township, Somers Township, Gasper Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,872 per pupil, $7,911 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.
Ohio districts overall: 53% local, 35% state, 12% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Gratis’ votes are counted by county
Ohio reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Gratis alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Preble County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican79.2%17,146 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat20.1%4,343 votesOthers: 0.8% (164 votes).
Most votes in Preble County: Donald J Trump
Ohio: Trump 55.1%, Harris 43.9%
100% of Gratis lies in Preble County. Every 2024 race in Preble County is on the county’s page.
Preble 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 Gratis.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: gratisohio.org ↗
- 2Ohio HouseState representatives
- 3Ohio SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Ohio
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Gratis compares with the towns next door
Gratis’ own figures are Census estimates, so it isn’t placed among its neighbors. 1 of the 2 towns next door reported 2022 figures, from $142 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Lanier Township | $142 | $1,812 |
| Gratis Township | estimate | $1,896 |
| Gratis | estimate | $1,286 |
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 Gratis’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Gratis’ government
How much does Gratis spend per resident?
About $1,785 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Gratis didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $1.7 million.
What is the property tax rate in Gratis?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,286 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.83% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.31% across Ohio. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see gratisohio.org.
Who runs Gratis’ government?
See gratisohio.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Gratis yet.
How did Gratis vote in 2024?
Ohio counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Gratis alone. Preble County, where 100% of Gratis lies, voted Trump 79.2%, Harris 20.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Gratis?
5 full-time and 38 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $79,923 (about $959,076 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Gratis in the state legislature?
State Senate District 5 (Steve Huffman) and State House District 40 (Rodney Creech). The House district also covers 39 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Gratis’ 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 (for Gratis, the Bureau’s estimates); 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 →