Gales Township spent more per resident in 2022 than 66% of similar towns
Gales Township’s town government spent $23,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $411 per resident.
What stands out about how Gales Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$411 per resident in 2022: more than 66% of them
Gales Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($411 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 395 South Dakota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $292, and the middle half spent $142–$516. Gales Township spent more than 66% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
South Dakota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Gales Township itself left out).
About $411 per resident a year, or $1.13 a day
Day-to-day services only.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Gales Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,000 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.07% of the home’s value, vs 1.06% across South Dakota.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Gales Township’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 Gales Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Gales Township →
Who’s in charge in Gales Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
White Lake School District 01-3
Gales Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Lake Township, White Lake, White Lake Township, Patten Township, Washington Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,710 per pupil, $8,548 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.
Gales Township’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 Gales Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Aurora County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican75.8%1,056 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat21.7%302 votesOthers: 2.5% (35 votes).
Most votes in Aurora County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Gales Township lies in Aurora County. Every 2024 race in Aurora County is on the county’s page.
Aurora 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 Gales Township.
- 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.
How Gales Township compares with the towns next door
Gales Township spent $411 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $11 to $51. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| White Lake Township | $11 | $1,500 |
| Wilbur Township | $51 | — |
| Washington Township | estimate | $1,393 |
| Crystal Lake Township | estimate | — |
| Torrey Lake Township | estimate | — |
| Gales Township | $411 | $2,000 |
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 Gales Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Gales Township’s government
How much does Gales Township spend per resident?
About $411 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 $411 was more than 66% of 395 South Dakota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Gales Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,000 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.07% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.06% across South Dakota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Gales Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Gales Township yet.
How did Gales Township vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Gales Township alone. Aurora County, where 100% of Gales Township lies, voted Trump 75.8%, Harris 21.7% for president; its page has every race.
Who represents Gales Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 21 (MyKala Voita) and State House District 21 (Jim Halverson and Marty Overweg). The House district also covers 129 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Gales Township’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 →