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Town Hall · Bertram

Bertram spent more per resident in 2022 than 78% of similar cities

Bertram’s city government spent $1.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $810 per resident. Water and other utilities ($156,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Texas.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$1.2M
year to September 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$810
In 2022: $810, more than 78% of 346 similar cities
Long-term debt
$19.1M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
19
full-time · 0 part-time · March payroll $78,751
Typical tax bill
$2,927
1.31% of home value · TX 1.49%

What stands out about how Bertram is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$810 per resident in 2022: more than 78% of them

Bertram’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($810 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 346 Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $428, and the middle half spent $184–$750. Bertram spent more than 78% of them.

Middle half of the group, $184–$750Median $428Bertram

Includes sewer and trash ($292,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
346

Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bertram itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $810 per resident a year, or $2.22 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 24%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 25%Property taxes 22%Fees & charges 20%Sales taxes 15%Interest, fines & other 12%From the federal government 7%From other local governments <1%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $769,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $2.2 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

Bertram reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,927 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.31% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Texas$4,232
Bertram$2,927
$2,927
typical bill a year
1.31%
effective rate
$224,200
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Bertram

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 80 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (1,520).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Police7
Water & other utilities4
Sewer & trash3
Administration & buildings2
Courts, inspections & corrections1
Roads & transportation1
Parks & libraries1
19
full-time
0
part-time
$78,751
payroll for March 2022
$945,012
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$49,700
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
7
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Bertram had 12.5 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 295 of the 346 Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 6.1: Bertram had more than 88% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

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

Burnet Consolidated Independent School District

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

Schools in Bertram →
$11,935
per pupil · TX $12,815
3,285
students
$50.6 million
long-term debt

Of the $11,935 per pupil, $6,533 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 79%State 11%Federal 10%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Bertram’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Burnet County’s results28,153 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican77.4%21,795 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat21.7%6,114 votes

Others: 0.9% (244 votes).

Most votes in Burnet County: Donald J Trump

Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

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

Burnet 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 Bertram

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Bertram.

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

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

Reach Bertram’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Bertram’s government

How much does Bertram spend per resident?

About $810 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $810 was more than 78% of 346 Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Bertram?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,927 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.31% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.

Who runs Bertram’s government?

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

How did Bertram vote in 2024?

Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bertram alone. Burnet County, where 100% of Bertram lies, voted Trump 77.4%, Harris 21.7% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Bertram?

19 full-time and 0 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $78,751 (about $945,012 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Bertram in the state legislature?

State Senate District 24 (Pete Flores) and State House District 19 (Ellen Troxclair). The House district also covers 23 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Bertram’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 →