Zell Township spent less per resident in 2022 than 91% of similar towns
Zell Township’s town government spent $3,000 on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2022, about $48 per resident.
What stands out about how Zell Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$48 per resident in 2022: less than 91% of them
Zell Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($48 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 $293, and the middle half spent $144–$516. Zell Township spent less than 91% 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; Zell Township itself left out).
About $48 per resident a year, or $0.13 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: fire, at 33%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Zell Township collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
No trend yet
Zell Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
Who’s in charge in Zell Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Redfield School District 56-4
Zell Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Exline Township, Frankfort, Lodi Township, Plato Township, Redfield and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,408 per pupil, $8,547 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.
Faulkton School District 24-4 · $12,949 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Zell 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 Zell Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Faulk County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican81.4%920 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat16.2%183 votesOthers: 2.4% (27 votes).
Most votes in Faulk County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Zell Township lies in Faulk County. Every 2024 race in Faulk County is on the county’s page.
Faulk 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 Zell 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 Zell Township compares with the towns next door
Zell Township spent $48 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Hillsdale Township | estimate | $4,413 |
| Pioneer Township | estimate | — |
| Rockham | estimate | $417 |
| Groveland Township | estimate | — |
| Zell Township | $48 | — |
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 Zell Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Zell Township’s government
How much does Zell Township spend per resident?
About $48 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $48 was less than 91% of 395 South Dakota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Zell Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Zell Township yet.
How did Zell Township vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Zell Township alone. Faulk County, where 100% of Zell Township lies, voted Trump 81.4%, Harris 16.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Zell Township?
0 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $175 (about $2,100 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Zell Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 23 (Mark Lapka) and State House District 23 (Scott Moore and Spencer Gosch). The House district also covers 131 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Zell 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 →