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Town Hall · Commonwealth

Commonwealth spent less per resident in 2022 than 87% of similar towns

Commonwealth’s town government spent $120,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $308 per resident.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Wisconsin.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$120,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$308
In 2022: $308, less than 87% of 1113 similar towns
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of 2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
0
full-time · 10 part-time · March payroll $3,445
Typical tax bill
$1,879
1.17% of home value · WI 1.42%

What stands out about how Commonwealth is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$308 per resident in 2022: less than 87% of them

Commonwealth’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($308 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. Commonwealth spent less than 87% of them.

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

Includes sewer and trash ($36,000), 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; Commonwealth itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $308 per resident a year, or $0.84 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 37%.

Where the money comes from
From the state 49%From other local governments 26%Property taxes 12%Fees & charges 12%Other taxes & licenses 1%Interest, fines & other <1%
Not in the receipt.With the enterprises, the whole budget was $125,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,879 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.17% of the home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Wisconsin$3,792
Fern$3,773
Florence$2,681
Homestead$2,019
Aurora$1,993
Commonwealth$1,879
$1,879
typical bill a year
1.17%
effective rate
$160,700
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Commonwealth

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

Check Commonwealth’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Commonwealth yet.
The school district

Florence School District

Commonwealth’s K–12 school district, shared with Aurora, Fence, Fern, Florence, Homestead and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Commonwealth →
$21,651
per pupil · WI $16,459
381
students
$11.6 million
long-term debt

Of the $21,651 per pupil, $11,094 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 61%State 29%Federal 11%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

How Commonwealth voted in 2024

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

President275 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican76.4%210 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat23.6%65 votes

Most votes in Commonwealth: Donald J Trump

Florence County: Trump 74.6%, Harris 24.8% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%

Turnout
61%

of Commonwealth’s 453 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.

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

U.S. Senate271 votes
Eric HovdeRepublican72.7%
Tammy BaldwinDemocrat25.5%
Others1.8%

Most votes in Commonwealth: Eric Hovde

Florence County: Hovde 72.5%, Baldwin 25.1% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%

U.S. House · Wisconsin’s 7th District430,384 votes
Tom TiffanyRepublican63.6%
Kyle KilbournDemocrat36.4%
Others0.1%

Most votes in the district: Tom Tiffany

Whole-district result

President, 2024: Commonwealth, its county and the state

TrumpHarrisOthersVotes
Commonwealth76.4%23.6%0.0%275
Florence County74.6%24.8%0.6%3,158
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 Commonwealth

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Commonwealth.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  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 Commonwealth compares with the towns next door

Commonwealth spent $308 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $272 to $1,065. 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
Aurora$272$1,993
Florence$793$2,681
Homestead$857$2,019
Fern$1,065$3,773
Commonwealth$308$1,879

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 Commonwealth’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Commonwealth’s government

How much does Commonwealth spend per resident?

About $308 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 $308 was less than 87% of 1113 Wisconsin towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Commonwealth?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,879 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.17% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.

Who runs Commonwealth’s government?

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

How did Commonwealth vote in 2024?

For president, Donald J Trump 76.4%, Kamala D Harris 23.6% (275 votes, official results). Florence County: Trump 74.6%, Harris 24.8%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.

How many people work for Commonwealth?

0 full-time and 10 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $3,445 (about $41,340 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Commonwealth in the state legislature?

State Senate District 12 (Mary Felzkowski) and Assembly District 36 (Jeff Mursau). The Assembly district also covers 53 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Commonwealth’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

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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 →