Photo: VazDrae · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Black Earth run?
Black Earth’s village government spent $1.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,059 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Black Earth is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
About $1,059 per resident a year, or $2.90 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 29%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,059 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Black Earth’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,059 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 375 Wisconsin cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,107, and the middle half spent $864–$1,431. Black Earth spent less than 54% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($439,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Wisconsin cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Black Earth itself left out).
No trend yet
Black Earth reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $4,652 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.60% of the home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Black Earth’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 Black Earth’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Black Earth →
Who’s in charge in Black Earth
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Black Earth’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The village posts agendas and minutes on blackearthwisconsin.com ↗.
One full-time village employee for every 203 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 (1,422).
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.
Wisconsin Heights School District
Black Earth’s K–12 school district, shared with Mazomanie, Black Earth, Mazomanie, Berry, Vermont. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $22,195 per pupil, $8,350 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.
Wisconsin districts overall: 39% local, 50% state, 11% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Black Earth voted in 2024
Official results for Black Earth’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat62.3%614 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican36.3%358 votesOthers: 1.3% (13 votes).
Most votes in Black Earth: Kamala D Harris
Dane County: Harris 74.9%, Trump 23.4% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
Most votes in Black Earth: Tammy Baldwin
Dane County: Baldwin 75.3%, Hovde 23.3% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%
Most votes in the district: Mark Pocan
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Black Earth, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Earth | 62.3% | 36.3% | 1.3% | 985 |
| Dane County | 74.9% | 23.4% | 1.8% | 365,929 |
| Wisconsin | 48.7% | 49.6% | 1.7% | 3,422,918 |
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 Black Earth.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: blackearthwisconsin.com ↗
- 2Wisconsin AssemblyState representatives
- 3Wisconsin SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Wisconsin
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Black Earth’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Black Earth’s government
How much does Black Earth spend per resident?
About $1,059 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,059 was less than 54% of 375 Wisconsin cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Black Earth?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,652 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.60% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see blackearthwisconsin.com.
Who runs Black Earth’s government?
See blackearthwisconsin.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Black Earth yet.
How did Black Earth vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 62.3%, Donald J Trump 36.3% (985 votes, official results). Dane County: Harris 74.9%, Trump 23.4%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Black Earth?
7 full-time and 10 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $38,075 (about $456,900 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Black Earth in the state legislature?
State Senate District 27 (Dianne Hesselbein) and Assembly District 81 (Alex Joers). The Assembly district also covers 13 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Black Earth’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 →