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Washington County Courthouse Brenham Texas USA DSC 1952 adPhoto: Adavyd · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Brenham

How is Brenham run?

Brenham’s city government spent $6.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, about $337 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Brenham didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.

Town website
Next public meeting

Capital Improvements Advisory Committee

4:00 pm · City Hall – Second Floor Conference Room 2-A, 200 W. Vulcan St.

All meetings →
Day-to-day spending, 2023
$6.1M
year to September 30, 2023 · Census estimate
Per resident, 2023
$337
Census estimate · not compared
Long-term debt
$4.9M
end of FY2023 · Census estimate
City staff, 2022
211
full-time · 53 part-time · March payroll $1.0M
Typical tax bill
$3,097
1.28% of home value · TX 1.49%

What stands out about how Brenham is run

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

Agendas posted online6 upcoming meetings posted, with agendas.Its own police and fire33 sworn officers and 13 full-time firefighters on the payroll.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $3,097 a year: 1.28% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas.
★ What stands out · Meetings

6 upcoming meetings at town hall

From Brenham’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 $337 per resident a year, or $0.92 a day

Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: police, at 61%.

Where the money comes from
Sales taxes 55%Property taxes 27%Interest, fines & other 15%From the state 3%Other taxes & licenses <1%
An estimate

Brenham didn’t report all of its 2023 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.

Not in the receipt.Building projects $221,000; interest on debt $195,000. With these, the whole budget was $6.5 million.
Compared with similar places · Over the years

No comparison or trend for Brenham yet

Every year of Brenham’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the city reported none of its dollars for 2022–2023. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.

How Town Hall compares budgets →
Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $3,097 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.28% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Texas$4,232
Brenham$3,097
$3,097
typical bill a year
1.28%
effective rate
$241,100
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Brenham

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

See cityofbrenham.org for Brenham’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Brenham yet.cityofbrenham.org ↗
Who works for Brenham

One full-time city employee for every 86 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (18,117).

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

Police39
Administration & buildings34 + 8 pt
Parks & libraries20 + 32 pt
Water & other utilities27
Sewer & trash21
Fire16
Roads & transportation11
Courts, inspections & corrections5 + 2 pt
Health & welfare5
Other33 + 11 pt
211
full-time
53
part-time
$1.0M
payroll for March 2022
$12.5M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$56,900
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
33
sworn police officers
13
full-time firefighters
Not compared.Staff are compared with the same group as the budget, and Brenham’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

Brenham Independent School District

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

Schools in Brenham →
$11,859
per pupil · TX $12,815
4,865
students
$27.7 million
long-term debt

Of the $11,859 per pupil, $6,898 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 59%State 32%Federal 9%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Brenham’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Washington County’s results18,265 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican76.8%14,020 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat22.2%4,058 votes

Others: 1.0% (187 votes).

Most votes in Washington County: Donald J Trump

Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

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

Washington 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 Brenham

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Brenham.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: cityofbrenham.org ↗
  2. 2
    Texas HouseState representatives
    Trey Wharton
  3. 3
    Texas SenateState senator
    Lois Kolkhorst
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Greg Abbott
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Michael T. McCaul
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Texas
    John CornynTed Cruz

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

Reach Brenham’s government

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

The Handbook →
Official websitecityofbrenham.org ↗

Questions about Brenham’s government

How much does Brenham spend per resident?

About $337 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, a Census Bureau estimate (Brenham didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $6.5 million.

What is the property tax rate in Brenham?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,097 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.28% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofbrenham.org.

Who runs Brenham’s government?

See cityofbrenham.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Brenham yet.

How did Brenham vote in 2024?

Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Brenham alone. Washington County, where 100% of Brenham lies, voted Trump 76.8%, Harris 22.2% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Brenham?

211 full-time and 53 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1.0M (about $12.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Brenham in the state legislature?

State Senate District 18 (Lois Kolkhorst) and State House District 12 (Trey Wharton). The House district also covers 21 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

When is the next public meeting in Brenham?

The next posted meeting is Capital Improvements Advisory Committee on Monday, November 2, at 4:00 pm in City Hall – Second Floor Conference Room 2-A, 200 W. Vulcan St., from the city’s own agenda portal.

Ask neighbors about Brenham’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 Brenham, 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 →