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President's HousePresident's House · Photo: Michael Barera · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Commerce

How is Commerce run?

Commerce’s city government spent $9.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $969 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Commerce didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Texas.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$9.4M
year to September 30, 2022 · Census estimate
Per resident, 2022
$969
Census estimate · not compared
Long-term debt
$17.7M
end of FY2022 · Census estimate
City staff, 2022
83
full-time · 9 part-time · March payroll $354,717 · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$2,495
1.54% of home value · TX 1.49%

What stands out about how Commerce is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $969 per resident a year, or $2.65 a day

Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 33%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 24%From the state 21%Property taxes 19%Utility sales 17%Sales taxes 16%Interest, fines & other 2%From other local governments 1%Other taxes & licenses <1%
An estimate

Commerce 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 $450,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $12.5 million.
Compared with similar places · Over the years

No comparison or trend for Commerce yet

Every year of Commerce’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 →
Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,495 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.54% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Texas$4,232
Commerce$2,495
$2,495
typical bill a year
1.54%
effective rate
$161,600
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Commerce

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

See commercetx.org for Commerce’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Commerce yet.commercetx.org ↗
Agendas

Commerce’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on commercetx.org ↗.

Who works for Commerce

One full-time city employee for every 117 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (9,700).

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

Police24
Fire18 + 6 pt
Water & other utilities9
Administration & buildings7 + 1 pt
Sewer & trash6
Roads & transportation5 + 1 pt
Parks & libraries5 + 1 pt
Courts, inspections & corrections1
Other8
83
full-time
9
part-time
$354,717
payroll for March 2022
$4.3M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$49,000
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
20
sworn police officers
18
full-time firefighters
Estimates.Commerce didn’t report its staff figures; these are the Census Bureau’s estimates, so they aren’t compared with other towns.

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

Commerce Independent School District

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

Schools in Commerce →
$16,302
per pupil · TX $12,815
1,559
students
$82 million
long-term debt

Of the $16,302 per pupil, $9,231 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 37%State 46%Federal 17%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Commerce’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Hunt County’s results46,733 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican77.3%36,137 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat21.9%10,212 votes

Others: 0.8% (384 votes).

Most votes in Hunt County: Donald J Trump

Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

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

Hunt 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 Commerce

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Commerce.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  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 Commerce’s government

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

The Handbook →

Questions about Commerce’s government

How much does Commerce spend per resident?

About $969 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Commerce didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $12.5 million.

What is the property tax rate in Commerce?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,495 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.54% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see commercetx.org.

Who runs Commerce’s government?

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

How did Commerce vote in 2024?

Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Commerce alone. Hunt County, where 100% of Commerce lies, voted Trump 77.3%, Harris 21.9% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Commerce?

83 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $354,717 (about $4.3M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Commerce in the state legislature?

State Senate District 8 (Angela Paxton) and State House District 2 (Brent Money). The House district also covers 24 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Commerce’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 Commerce, 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 →