How is DISH run?
DISH’s town government spent $255,000 on day-to-day services in the year to , 2022, about $577 per resident.
What stands out about how DISH is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Ponder Independent School District
DISH’s K–12 school district, shared with Ponder. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,624 per pupil, $6,717 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.
Texas districts overall: 51% local, 36% state, 13% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $577 per resident a year, or $1.58 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 46%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$577 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
DISH’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($577 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–$752. DISH spent more than 62% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; DISH itself left out).
No trend yet
DISH reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $7,066 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.50% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at DISH’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 DISH’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in DISH →
Who’s in charge in DISH
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
DISH’s votes are counted by county
Texas reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for DISH alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Denton County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican55.8%250,521 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat42.6%191,503 votesOthers: 1.6% (7,164 votes).
Most votes in Denton County: Donald J Trump
Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%
100% of DISH lies in Denton County. Every 2024 race in Denton County is on the county’s page.
Denton 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 DISH.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Texas HouseState representatives
- 3Texas SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Texas
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach DISH’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about DISH’s government
How much does DISH spend per resident?
About $577 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to , 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $577 was more than 62% of 346 Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in DISH?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $7,066 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.50% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs DISH’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for DISH yet.
How did DISH vote in 2024?
Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for DISH alone. Denton County, where 100% of DISH lies, voted Trump 55.8%, Harris 42.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for DISH?
0 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $8,693 (about $104,316 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents DISH in the state legislature?
State Senate District 12 (Tan Parker) and State House District 57 (Richard Hayes). The House district also covers 16 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about DISH’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 →