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Elgin-tx2016-24(nofsinger-house)Photo: Darrylpearson · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Elgin

How is Elgin run?

Elgin’s city government spent $9.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $878 per resident. Water and other utilities ($931,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Today

General election in Texas.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$9.4M
year to September 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$878
In 2022: $878, less than 59% of 68 similar cities
Long-term debt
$48.1M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
90
full-time · 13 part-time · March payroll $426,030
Typical tax bill
$6,400
1.96% of home value · TX 1.49%

What stands out about how Elgin is run

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

Agendas posted online6 upcoming meetings posted, with agendas.Runs its own water & sewer22% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).Split between districts2 State House and 2 U.S. House districts cover Elgin; your street decides yours.
★ What stands out · Meetings

6 upcoming meetings at town hall

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

Recent meetings

  • Oct29
    Library Advisory BoardThursday · 5:30 pm · 404 North Main StreetLibrary Advisory Board MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Oct28
    Historic Review BoardWednesday · 7:30 am · 404 North Main StreetMeeting page ↗
  • Oct27
    City CouncilTuesday · 6:30 pm · 404 North Main StreetCity Council Regular MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Oct26
    Planning & Zoning CommissionMonday · 6:30 pm · 404 N Main StPlanning and Zoning Commission Regular MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Oct24
    City CouncilSaturday · 10:00 am · Downtown ElginNotice of Possible QuorumMeeting page ↗
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 2022 budget

About $878 per resident a year, or $2.41 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 33%.

Where the money comes from
Interest, fines & other 21%Fees & charges 19%Utility sales 17%Sales taxes 17%Property taxes 16%From the federal government 10%From the state <1%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $1 million. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $11.4 million.
Compared with similar places

$878 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

Elgin’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($878 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 68 Texas cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $986, and the middle half spent $726–$1,301. Elgin spent less than 59% of them.

Middle half of the group, $726–$1,301Median $986Elgin

Includes sewer and trash ($1.3 million), 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
68

Texas cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Elgin itself left out).

Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $6,400 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.96% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Elgin$6,400
Texas$4,232
$6,400
typical bill a year
1.96%
effective rate
$326,400
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Elgin

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 120 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 (10,756).

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

Administration & buildings24 + 11 pt
Police24
Parks & libraries11 + 2 pt
Water & other utilities10
Sewer & trash7
Roads & transportation6
Courts, inspections & corrections3
Other5
90
full-time
13
part-time
$426,030
payroll for March 2022
$5.1M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$55,000
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
21
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Elgin had 8.4 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 56 of the 68 Texas cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 8.1: Elgin had more than 54% 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

Elgin Independent School District

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

Schools in Elgin →
$11,354
per pupil · TX $12,815
5,715
students
$333.3 million
long-term debt

Of the $11,354 per pupil, $5,590 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 45%State 45%Federal 9%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Elgin’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Bastrop County’s results39,917 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican58.4%23,301 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat40.1%15,989 votes

Others: 1.6% (627 votes).

Most votes in Bastrop County: Donald J Trump

Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

86% of Elgin lies in Bastrop County; the rest in Travis County. Every 2024 race in Bastrop County is on the county’s page.

Bastrop 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 Elgin

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Elgin.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Texas HouseElgin is split between 2 districts
    Stan GerdesSheryl Cole
  3. 3
    Texas SenateState senator
    Charles SchwertnerSarah Eckhardt
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Greg Abbott
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseSplit between districts
    Michael T. McCaulPete Sessions
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Texas
    John CornynTed Cruz
Find your state legislators by address ↗Find your House district by ZIP code ↗

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

Reach Elgin’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Elgin’s government

How much does Elgin spend per resident?

About $878 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 $878 was less than 59% of 68 Texas cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Elgin?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,400 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.96% 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 Elgin’s government?

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

How did Elgin vote in 2024?

Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Elgin alone. Bastrop County, where 86% of Elgin lies, voted Trump 58.4%, Harris 40.1% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Elgin?

90 full-time and 13 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $426,030 (about $5.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Elgin in the state legislature?

Elgin is split among 2 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Texas Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

When is the next public meeting in Elgin?

The next posted meeting is Economic Development Corporation on Wednesday, November 4, at 10:30 am in 412 Depot Street, from the city’s own agenda portal.

Ask neighbors about Elgin’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 →