Tool spent less per resident in 2022 than 82% of similar cities
Tool’s town government spent $315,000 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $135 per resident.
What stands out about how Tool is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$135 per resident in 2022: less than 82% of them
Tool’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($135 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. Tool spent less than 82% 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; Tool itself left out).
About $135 per resident a year, or $0.37 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 75%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Tool collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
No trend yet
Tool reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,952 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.92% 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 Tool’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 Tool’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Tool →
Who’s in charge in Tool
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 212 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 (2,335).
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.
Malakoff Independent School District
Tool’s K–12 school district, shared with Malakoff, Star Harbor, Caney City, Trinidad. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,855 per pupil, $8,158 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.
Mabank Independent School District · $11,413 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Tool’s votes are counted by county
Texas reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Tool alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Henderson County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican81.3%31,379 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat17.9%6,919 votesOthers: 0.8% (305 votes).
Most votes in Henderson County: Donald J Trump
Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%
100% of Tool lies in Henderson County. Every 2024 race in Henderson County is on the county’s page.
Henderson 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 Tool.
- 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.
How Tool compares with the towns next door
Tool spent $135 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Seven Points | estimate | $777 |
| Tool | $135 | $1,952 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Tool’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Tool’s government
How much does Tool spend per resident?
About $135 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 $135 was less than 82% of 346 Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Tool?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,952 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.92% 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 Tool’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Tool yet.
How did Tool vote in 2024?
Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Tool alone. Henderson County, where 100% of Tool lies, voted Trump 81.3%, Harris 17.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Tool?
11 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $56,503 (about $678,036 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Tool in the state legislature?
State Senate District 3 (Robert Nichols) and State House District 4 (Keith Bell). The House district also covers 29 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Tool’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 →