How is Butler run?
Butler’s town government spent $13,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $812 per resident.
What stands out about how Butler is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
About $812 per resident a year, or $2.22 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$812 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Butler’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($812 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 124 South Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $747, and the middle half spent $370–$1,182. Butler spent more than 52% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($4,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
South Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Butler itself left out).
No trend yet
Butler reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
Who’s in charge in Butler
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Groton Area School District 06-6
Butler’s K–12 school district, shared with Andover, Bates Township, Bristol, Bristol Township, Columbia and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,329 per pupil, $7,181 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.
South Dakota districts overall: 50% local, 31% state, 19% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Butler’s votes are counted by county
South Dakota reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Butler alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Day County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican64.0%1,876 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat34.1%1,000 votesOthers: 1.9% (56 votes).
Most votes in Day County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Butler lies in Day County. Every 2024 race in Day County is on the county’s page.
Day 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 Butler.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2South Dakota HouseState representatives
- 3South Dakota SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of South Dakota
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Butler’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Butler’s government
How much does Butler spend per resident?
About $812 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $812 was more than 52% of 124 South Dakota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Butler’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Butler yet.
How did Butler vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Butler alone. Day County, where 100% of Butler lies, voted Trump 64.0%, Harris 34.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Butler?
0 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $142 (about $1,704 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Butler in the state legislature?
State Senate District 1 (Michael Rohl) and State House District 1 (Logan Manhart and Nick Fosness). The House district also covers 150 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Butler’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 →