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Rufus Oregon cityscapePhoto: Tedder · CC BY 3.0
Town Hall · Rufus

How is Rufus run?

Rufus’ city government spent $182,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $708 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Rufus didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Oregon.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$182,000
year to June 30, 2022 · Census estimate
Per resident, 2022
$708
Census estimate · not compared
Long-term debt
$1.3M
end of FY2022 · Census estimate
City staff, 2022
3
full-time · 0 part-time · March payroll $9,994
Typical tax bill
$1,211
0.66% of home value · OR 0.81%

What stands out about how Rufus is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $708 per resident a year, or $1.94 a day

Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 36%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 29%Utility sales 23%Property taxes 17%From the state 15%Sales taxes 8%From other local governments 6%Interest, fines & other 2%
An estimate

Rufus didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.

Not in the receipt.Building projects $15,000; interest on debt $41,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $277,000.
Compared with similar places · Over the years

No comparison or trend for Rufus yet

Every year of Rufus’ figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the city 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 →
Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,211 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.66% of the home’s value, vs 0.81% across Oregon.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Oregon$3,876
Rufus$1,211
$1,211
typical bill a year
0.66%
effective rate
$182,800
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Rufus

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

See rufuscityhall.com for Rufus’ current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Rufus yet.rufuscityhall.com ↗
Agendas

Rufus’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on rufuscityhall.com ↗.

Who works for Rufus

One full-time city employee for every 86 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 (257).

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

Administration & buildings1
Sewer & trash1
Water & other utilities1
3
full-time
0
part-time
$9,994
payroll for March 2022
$119,928
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$40,000
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Not compared.Staff are compared with the same group as the budget, and Rufus’ 2022 budget was a Census estimate, so there is no group to compare with.

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

Sherman School District 1

Rufus’ K–12 school district, shared with Grass Valley, Moro, Wasco. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Rufus →
$21,401
per pupil · OR $17,749
282
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $21,401 per pupil, $10,298 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 76%State 9%Federal 15%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Rufus’ votes are counted by county

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

President · Sherman County’s results1,166 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican76.3%890 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat20.0%233 votes

Others: 3.7% (43 votes).

Most votes in Sherman County: Donald J Trump

Oregon: Harris 55.3%, Trump 41.0%

The county’s page

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

Sherman 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 Rufus

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Rufus.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    Oregon HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Oregon SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Oregon

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

Reach Rufus’ government

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

The Handbook →

Questions about Rufus’ government

How much does Rufus spend per resident?

About $708 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Rufus didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $277,000.

What is the property tax rate in Rufus?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,211 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.66% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Oregon. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see rufuscityhall.com.

Who runs Rufus’ government?

See rufuscityhall.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Rufus yet.

How did Rufus vote in 2024?

Oregon counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Rufus alone. Sherman County, where 100% of Rufus lies, voted Trump 76.3%, Harris 20.0% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Rufus?

3 full-time and 0 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $9,994 (about $119,928 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Rufus in the state legislature?

State Senate District 29 (Todd Nash) and State House District 57 (Greg Smith). The House district also covers 22 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Rufus’ 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 (for Rufus, 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 →