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The Elgin Opera House and City Hall, Elgin - DPLA - 04149860899f8bff7ccef7fc5ad27f53Photo: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives · CC BY 4.0
Town Hall · Elgin

Elgin spent more per resident in 2022 than 80% of similar cities

Elgin’s city government spent $1.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,028 per resident. Water and other utilities ($268,000) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Oregon.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$1.9M
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,028
In 2022: $1,028, more than 80% of 92 similar cities
Long-term debt
$1.6M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
11
full-time · 3 part-time · March payroll $69,930
Typical tax bill
$1,672
0.87% of home value · OR 0.81%

What stands out about how Elgin is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,028 per resident, more than 80% of 92 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer27% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $1,672 a year: 0.87% of the home’s value, vs 0.81% across Oregon.
Compared with similar places

$1,028 per resident in 2022: more than 80% of them

Elgin’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,028 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 92 Oregon cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $694, and the middle half spent $446–$964. Elgin spent more than 80% of them.

Middle half of the group, $446–$964Median $694Elgin

Includes sewer and trash ($306,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
92

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

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,028 per resident a year, or $2.82 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 32%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 39%Utility sales 21%Property taxes 19%From the state 14%Sales taxes 4%Interest, fines & other 2%From the federal government 1%From other local governments <1%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $501,000; interest on debt $94,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $2.7 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,672 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.87% of the home’s value, vs 0.81% across Oregon.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Oregon$3,876
Elgin$1,672
$1,672
typical bill a year
0.87%
effective rate
$191,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Elgin

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

See cityofelginor.org for Elgin’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Elgin yet.cityofelginor.org ↗
Agendas

Elgin’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofelginor.org ↗.

Who works for Elgin

One full-time city employee for every 164 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 (1,801).

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

Parks & libraries3 + 1 pt
Water & other utilities3
Administration & buildings2
Courts, inspections & corrections2
Sewer & trash1 + 2 pt
11
full-time
3
part-time
$69,930
payroll for March 2022
$839,160
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$69,800
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Elgin had 6.1 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 80 of the 92 Oregon cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 5.1: Elgin had more than 64% 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

Elgin School District 23

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

Schools in Elgin →
$18,792
per pupil · OR $17,749
404
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $18,792 per pupil, $12,960 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 19%State 69%Federal 12%

Oregon districts overall: 38% local, 52% state, 10% federal.

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Elgin’s votes are counted by county

Oregon reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Elgin alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Union County’s results.

President · Union County’s results14,574 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican68.2%9,942 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat28.2%4,107 votes

Others: 3.6% (525 votes).

Most votes in Union County: Donald J Trump

Oregon: Harris 55.3%, Trump 41.0%

The county’s page

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

Union 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 Elgin

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Elgin.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: cityofelginor.org ↗
  2. 2
    Oregon HouseState representatives
    Bobby Levy
  3. 3
    Oregon SenateState senator
    Todd Nash
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Tina Kotek
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Cliff Bentz
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Oregon
    Ron WydenJeff Merkley

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

Reach Elgin’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →
Official websitecityofelginor.org ↗

Questions about Elgin’s government

How much does Elgin spend per resident?

About $1,028 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 $1,028 was more than 80% of 92 Oregon cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Elgin?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,672 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.87% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Oregon. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofelginor.org.

Who runs Elgin’s government?

See cityofelginor.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Elgin yet.

How did Elgin vote in 2024?

Oregon counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Elgin alone. Union County, where 100% of Elgin lies, voted Trump 68.2%, Harris 28.2% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Elgin?

11 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $69,930 (about $839,160 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Elgin in the state legislature?

State Senate District 29 (Todd Nash) and State House District 58 (Bobby Levy). The House district also covers 20 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Elgin’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 →