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Town Hall · Abilene

How is Abilene run?

Abilene’s city government spent $158.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, about $1,268 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. Water and other utilities ($40.2 million) and the airport ($2.6 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Texas.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2023
$158.6M
year to September 30, 2023
Per resident, 2023
$1,268
2022 was an estimate · not compared
Long-term debt
$407.2M
end of FY2023, reported
City staff, 2025
1,195
full-time · 89 part-time · March payroll $8.3M
Typical tax bill
$2,699
1.47% of home value · TX 1.49%

What stands out about how Abilene is run

Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.

Agendas posted online5 upcoming meetings posted, with agendas.Runs its own water & sewer31% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2023).A shared school districtShares Abilene Independent School District with 1 other town.Its own police and fire217 sworn officers and 198 full-time firefighters on the payroll.
★ What stands out · Meetings

5 upcoming meetings at town hall

From Abilene’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.

Recent meetings

Go in person

Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.

Agenda portal ↗
Your share of the 2023 budget

About $1,268 per resident a year, or $3.47 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 21%.

Where the money comes from
Sales taxes 27%Property taxes 20%Fees & charges 19%Utility sales 19%Interest, fines & other 6%From the federal government 5%From the state 2%From other local governments 1%Other taxes & licenses 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $57.9 million; interest on debt $12.3 million. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $271.7 million.
Compared with similar places · Over the years

No comparison or trend for Abilene yet

The fair comparison uses 2022, the last year the Census Bureau counted every government (later years are a sample), and Abilene’s 2022 figures are a Census estimate (it reported none of its 2022 dollars). It reported 2023 only (2022 and 2024 are estimates), so there is no trend yet either. The next full count is 2027.

How Town Hall compares budgets →
City staff
1,195

full-time in March 2025, up from 1,165 in 2022.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,699 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.47% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Texas$4,232
Potosi$4,025
Abilene$2,699
Tye$665
$2,699
typical bill a year
1.47%
effective rate
$183,700
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Abilene’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.

Tax bills are one input to Abilene’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Abilene →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Abilene

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

See abilenetx.com for Abilene’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Abilene yet.abilenetx.com ↗
Who works for Abilene

One full-time city employee for every 105 residents

On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (125,070).

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

Police274 + 26 pt
Fire210
Parks & libraries115 + 44 pt
Water & other utilities120 + 1 pt
Sewer & trash117 + 1 pt
Administration & buildings87 + 1 pt
Roads & transportation75 + 7 pt
Health & welfare60 + 4 pt
Courts, inspections & corrections18
Housing & development3
Other116 + 5 pt
1,195
full-time
89
part-time
$8.3M
payroll for March 2025
$99.1M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$81,600
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
217
sworn police officers
198
full-time firefighters
Not compared.Staff are compared with the same group as the budget, and Abilene’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

Abilene Independent School District

Abilene’s K–12 school district, shared with Impact. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Abilene →
$11,566
per pupil · TX $12,815
14,652
students
$190.8 million
long-term debt

Of the $11,566 per pupil, $6,380 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 32%State 49%Federal 19%

Texas districts overall: 51% local, 36% state, 13% federal.

Also serving Abilene

Wylie Independent School District · $9,721 per pupil

Eula Independent School District · $16,539 per pupil

Hawley Independent School District · $16,954 per pupil

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Abilene’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Taylor County’s results55,417 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican74.3%41,198 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat24.6%13,624 votes

Others: 1.1% (595 votes).

Most votes in Taylor County: Donald J Trump

Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

96% of Abilene lies in Taylor County; the rest in Jones County. Every 2024 race in Taylor County is on the county’s page.

Taylor 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 Abilene

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Abilene.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: abilenetx.com ↗
  2. 2
    Texas HouseState representatives
    Stan Lambert
  3. 3
    Texas SenateState senator
    Charles Perry
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Greg Abbott
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Jodey C. Arrington
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Texas
    John CornynTed Cruz

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

Next door

How Abilene compares with the towns next door

Abilene’s 2022 figures are a Census estimate, so it isn’t placed among them. None of its neighbors reported 2022 figures. Tap a town to see its page.

Tye: no reported 2022 figuresPotosi: unincorporated, no town budgetTyePotosiAbilene
Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Tyeestimate$665
Abileneestimate$2,699

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 Abilene’s government

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

The Handbook →
Official websiteabilenetx.com ↗

Questions about Abilene’s government

How much does Abilene spend per resident?

About $1,268 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau.

What is the property tax rate in Abilene?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,699 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.47% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see abilenetx.com.

Who runs Abilene’s government?

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

How did Abilene vote in 2024?

Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Abilene alone. Taylor County, where 96% of Abilene lies, voted Trump 74.3%, Harris 24.6% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Abilene?

1,195 full-time and 89 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $8.3M (about $99.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Abilene in the state legislature?

State Senate District 28 (Charles Perry) and State House District 71 (Stan Lambert). The House district also covers 19 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

When is the next public meeting in Abilene?

The next posted meeting is Planning & Zoning Commission on Tuesday, November 3, at 1:30 pm in City Hall, 555 Walnut Street, Council Chambers, from the city’s own agenda portal.

Ask neighbors about Abilene’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; 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 →