Photo: Leaflet · CC BY-SA 3.0O'Donnell spent less per resident in 2022 than 78% of similar cities
O'Donnell’s city government spent $135,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $159 per resident. Water and other utilities ($61,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how O'Donnell is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$159 per resident in 2022: less than 78% of them
O'Donnell’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($159 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 $433, and the middle half spent $185–$752. O'Donnell spent less than 78% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($126,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; O'Donnell itself left out).
About $159 per resident a year, or $0.44 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 93%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
O'Donnell reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $958 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.42% 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 O'Donnell’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 O'Donnell’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in O'Donnell →
Who’s in charge in O'Donnell
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 212 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 (847).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
O'Donnell Independent School District
O'Donnell’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $20,561 per pupil, $11,956 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.
O'Donnell’s votes are counted by county
Texas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for O'Donnell alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Lynn County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican84.6%2,171 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat14.3%367 votesOthers: 1.1% (28 votes).
Most votes in Lynn County: Donald J Trump
Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%
87% of O'Donnell lies in Lynn County; the rest in Dawson County. Every 2024 race in Lynn County is on the county’s page.
Lynn 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 O'Donnell.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Texas HouseO'Donnell is split between 2 districts
- 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 O'Donnell’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about O'Donnell’s government
How much does O'Donnell spend per resident?
About $159 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $159 was less than 78% of 346 Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in O'Donnell?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $958 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.42% 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 O'Donnell’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for O'Donnell yet.
How did O'Donnell vote in 2024?
Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for O'Donnell alone. Lynn County, where 87% of O'Donnell lies, voted Trump 84.6%, Harris 14.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for O'Donnell?
4 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $15,989 (about $191,868 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents O'Donnell in the state legislature?
O'Donnell 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.
Ask neighbors about O'Donnell’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 →