Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Calamus

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Town Hall · Calamus

Calamus spent less per resident in 2022 than 98% of similar towns

Calamus’ town government spent $242,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $229 per resident.

Town website
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$242,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$229
In 2022: $229, less than 98% of 1113 similar towns
Long-term debt
$272,000
end of 2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
0
full-time · 13 part-time · March payroll $8,330
Typical tax bill
$4,455
1.20% of home value · WI 1.42%

What stands out about how Calamus is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$229 per resident in 2022: less than 98% of them

Calamus’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($229 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 1113 Wisconsin towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $511, and the middle half spent $373–$727. Calamus spent less than 98% of them.

Middle half of the group, $373–$727Median $511Calamus

Includes sewer and trash ($3,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
1113

Wisconsin towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Calamus itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $229 per resident a year, or $0.63 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 41%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 46%From the state 41%From the federal government 11%Other taxes & licenses 2%Fees & charges 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $143,000; interest on debt $5,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $392,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $4,455 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.20% of the home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Calamus$4,455
Elba$4,044
Fountain Prairie$3,924
Wisconsin$3,792
Lowell$3,642
Westford$3,488
Beaver Dam$3,291
$4,455
typical bill a year
1.20%
effective rate
$371,000
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Calamus

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

See townofcalamus.com for Calamus’ current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Calamus yet.townofcalamus.com ↗
Agendas

Calamus’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofcalamus.com ↗.

The school district

Beaver Dam School District

Calamus’ K–12 school district, shared with Beaver Dam, Beaver Dam, Westford, Trenton. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Calamus →
$15,130
per pupil · WI $16,459
3,061
students
$38 million
long-term debt

Of the $15,130 per pupil, $8,791 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 31%State 58%Federal 10%

Wisconsin districts overall: 39% local, 50% state, 11% federal.

Also serving Calamus

Columbus School District · $15,320 per pupil

Fall River School District · $16,300 per pupil

Randolph School District · $15,542 per pupil

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

Elections · 2024 general election

How Calamus voted in 2024

Official results for Calamus’ own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.

President635 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican61.9%393 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat37.2%236 votes

Others: 0.9% (6 votes).

Most votes in Calamus: Donald J Trump

Dodge County: Trump 65.7%, Harris 32.8% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%

Turnout
91%

of Calamus’ 698 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.

Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).

U.S. Senate627 votes
Eric HovdeRepublican59.2%
Tammy BaldwinDemocrat38.8%
Others2.1%

Most votes in Calamus: Eric Hovde

Dodge County: Hovde 64.0%, Baldwin 33.7% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%

U.S. House · Wisconsin’s 5th District466,682 votes
Scott FitzgeraldRepublican64.4%
Ben SteinhoffDemocrat35.5%
Others0.1%

Most votes in the district: Scott Fitzgerald

Whole-district result

President, 2024: Calamus, its county and the state

TrumpHarrisOthersVotes
Calamus61.9%37.2%0.9%635
Dodge County65.7%32.8%1.4%50,300
Wisconsin49.6%48.7%1.7%3,422,918
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 Calamus

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Calamus.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
  2. 2
    Wisconsin AssemblyState representatives
  3. 3
    Wisconsin SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Wisconsin

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

Next door

How Calamus compares with the towns next door

Calamus spent $229 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $229 to $544. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Westford$229$3,488
Elba$326$4,044
Beaver Dam$400$3,291
Lowell$481$3,642
Fountain Prairie$544$3,924
Calamus$229$4,455

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 Calamus’ government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Calamus’ government

How much does Calamus spend per resident?

About $229 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 $229 was less than 98% of 1113 Wisconsin towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Calamus?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,455 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.20% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofcalamus.com.

Who runs Calamus’ government?

See townofcalamus.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Calamus yet.

How did Calamus vote in 2024?

For president, Donald J Trump 61.9%, Kamala D Harris 37.2% (635 votes, official results). Dodge County: Trump 65.7%, Harris 32.8%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.

How many people work for Calamus?

0 full-time and 13 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $8,330 (about $99,960 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Calamus in the state legislature?

State Senate District 13 (John Jagler) and Assembly District 37 (Mark Born). The Assembly district also covers 20 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Calamus’ 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 →