Photo: Nyttend · Public domainLima spent more per resident in 2022 than 71% of similar cities
Lima’s city government spent $66.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,891 per resident. Water and other utilities ($14.4 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Lima is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,364 per resident in 2022: more than 71% of them
Lima’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,364 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 21 Ohio cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,168, and the middle half spent $1,011–$1,394. Lima spent more than 71% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($11.7 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 →
Ohio cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Lima itself left out).
About $1,891 per resident a year, or $5.18 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 19%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 33% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Lima 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: $1,364 · 2023: $1,588 · 2024: $1,891. Per resident it went from $1,364 to $1,891 (up 39%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 36,440 to 34,977.
full-time in March 2025, up from 402 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,165 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.09% 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 Lima’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 Lima’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Lima →
Who’s in charge in Lima
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Lima’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityhall.lima.oh.us/index.asp ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 82 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 (34,977).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Lima City School District
Lima’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,189 per pupil, $10,705 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.
Perry Local School District · $14,415 per pupil
Elida Local School District · $14,006 per pupil
Bath Local School District · $13,181 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Lima voted in 2024
Official results for Lima’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican54.2%5,808 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat44.9%4,810 votesOthers: 1.0% (104 votes).
Most votes in Lima: Donald J Trump
Allen County: Trump 71.6%, Harris 27.5% · Ohio: Trump 55.1%, Harris 43.9%
of Lima’s 26,430 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Ohio: 64%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Lima: Bernie Moreno
Allen County: Moreno 65.7%, Brown 30.7% · Ohio: Moreno 50.1%, Brown 46.5%
Most votes in the district: Jim Jordan
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Lima, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lima | 54.2% | 44.9% | 1.0% | 10,722 |
| Allen County | 71.6% | 27.5% | 0.9% | 46,361 |
| Ohio | 55.1% | 43.9% | 0.9% | 5,767,788 |
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 Lima.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityhall.lima.oh.us/index.asp ↗
- 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 Lima compares with the towns next door
Lima spent $1,364 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Perry Township | $119 | $1,716 |
| Bath Township | $232 | $2,240 |
| American Township | $238 | $2,461 |
| Shawnee Township | $522 | $2,968 |
| Lima | $1,364 | $1,165 |
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 Lima’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Lima’s government
How much does Lima spend per resident?
About $1,891 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,364 was more than 71% of 21 Ohio cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Lima?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,165 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.09% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.31% across Ohio. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityhall.lima.oh.us/index.asp.
Who runs Lima’s government?
See cityhall.lima.oh.us/index.asp for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Lima yet.
How did Lima vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 54.2%, Kamala D Harris 44.9% (10,722 votes, official results). Allen County: Trump 71.6%, Harris 27.5%. Ohio: Trump 55.1%, Harris 43.9%.
How many people work for Lima?
429 full-time and 15 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $2.7M (about $32.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Lima in the state legislature?
State Senate District 12 (Susan Manchester) and State House District 78 (Matt Huffman). The House district also covers 30 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Lima’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 →