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Town Hall · Hecla

How is Hecla run?

Hecla’s city government spent $378,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,742 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Hecla didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in South Dakota.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$378,000
year to December 31, 2022 · Census estimate
Per resident, 2022
$1,742
Census estimate · not compared
Long-term debt
$138,000
end of 2022 · Census estimate
City staff, 2025
3
full-time · 31 part-time · March payroll $32,601
Typical tax bill
$1,217
2.58% of home value · SD 1.06%

What stands out about how Hecla is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,742 per resident a year, or $4.77 a day

Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 45%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 55%Fees & charges 16%Property taxes 15%Sales taxes 7%Interest, fines & other 3%Other taxes & licenses 2%From the state 2%
An estimate

Hecla 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.Interest on debt $1,000; payments to other governments $3,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $861,000.
Compared with similar places · Over the years

No comparison or trend for Hecla yet

Every year of Hecla’s 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 →
City staff
3

full-time in March 2025, down from 4 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,217 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.58% of the home’s value, vs 1.06% across South Dakota.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

South Dakota$2,724
Hecla$1,217
$1,217
typical bill a year
2.58%
effective rate
$47,100
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Hecla

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

Check Hecla’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Hecla yet.
Who works for Hecla

One full-time city employee for every 72 residents

On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (217).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025

Parks & libraries1 + 14 pt
Administration & buildings1 + 8 pt
Health & welfare0 + 5 pt
Water & other utilities1 + 1 pt
Sewer & trash0 + 1 pt
Other0 + 2 pt
3
full-time
31
part-time
$32,601
payroll for March 2025
$391,212
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$43,900
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Not compared.Staff are compared with the same group as the budget, and Hecla’s 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

Britton-Hecla School District 45-4

Hecla’s K–12 school district, shared with Britton, Dayton Township, Hamilton Township, Hecla Township, Lake City and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Hecla →
$11,802
per pupil · SD $13,040
480
students
$4.6 million
long-term debt

Of the $11,802 per pupil, $6,644 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 67%State 20%Federal 13%

South Dakota districts overall: 50% local, 31% state, 19% federal.

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Hecla’s votes are counted by county

South Dakota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Hecla alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Brown County’s results.

President · Brown County’s results17,043 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican62.5%10,645 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat35.6%6,075 votes

Others: 1.9% (323 votes).

Most votes in Brown County: Donald J Trump

South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%

The county’s page

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

Brown 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 Hecla

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Hecla.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    South Dakota HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    South Dakota SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of South Dakota

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

Reach Hecla’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Hecla’s government

How much does Hecla spend per resident?

About $1,742 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Hecla didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $861,000.

What is the property tax rate in Hecla?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,217 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.58% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.06% across South Dakota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.

Who runs Hecla’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Hecla yet.

How did Hecla vote in 2024?

South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Hecla alone. Brown County, where 100% of Hecla lies, voted Trump 62.5%, Harris 35.6% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Hecla?

3 full-time and 31 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $32,601 (about $391,212 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Hecla 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 Hecla’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 (for Hecla, 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 →