Photo: Arnmhs · CC BY-SA 4.0How is Menasha run?
Menasha’s city government spent $25.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,430 per resident. Water and other utilities ($86.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Menasha is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Menasha’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov3Redevelopment AuthorityTuesday · 5:15 pm · 100 Main StreetMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov4GeneralWednesday · 5:00 pm · First Floor Conference Rooms, 100 Main StreetSpecial Joint Common Council and Parks and Recreation Board MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov11Common CouncilWednesday · 5:00 pm · Menasha City Center, First Floor Conference Rooms, 100 Main StreetBudget Review SessionMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov11Landmarks CommissionWednesday · 5:00 pm · 100 Main StreetMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov12Common CouncilThursday · 5:00 pm · Menasha City Center, First Floor Conference Rooms, 100 Main StreetBudget Review SessionMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov16Common CouncilMonday · 6:00 pm · Menasha City Center, First Floor Conference Rooms, 100 Main StreetCommon Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Nov2Board of Public WorksMonday · 6:30 pm · Menasha City Center, First Floor Conference Rooms, 100 Main StreetBoard of Public Works MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov2Common CouncilMonday · 6:00 pm · Menasha City Center, First Floor Conference Rooms, 100 Main StreetCommon Council MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov2Common CouncilMonday · 4:30 pm · Menasha City Center, First Floor Conference Rooms, 100 Main StreetCapital Improvement Plan WorkshopAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct26Housing AuthorityMonday · 4:30 pm · 100 Main St., Suite 200Meeting page ↗
- Oct19Board of Public WorksMonday · 6:45 pm · Menasha City Center, First Floor Conference Rooms, 100 Main StreetBoard of Public Works MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $1,430 per resident a year, or $3.92 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 21%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,289 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Menasha’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,289 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 59 Wisconsin cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,152, and the middle half spent $949–$1,409. Menasha spent more than 61% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3 million), 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Menasha itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 12% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Menasha reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,289 · 2023: $1,329 · 2024: $1,430.
full-time in March 2025, up from 150 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,621 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.89% 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 Menasha’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.
Tax bills are one input to Menasha’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Menasha →
Who’s in charge in Menasha
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 117 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (17,889).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Menasha School District
Menasha’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,818 per pupil, $9,972 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.
Appleton Area School District · $14,628 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Menasha voted in 2024
Official results for Menasha’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat50.5%4,808 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican48.1%4,578 votesOthers: 1.4% (131 votes).
Most votes in Menasha: Kamala D Harris
Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of Menasha’s 13,344 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Menasha: Tammy Baldwin
Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%
U.S. House, 2024: 2 districts cover Menasha, so your street decides which race was yours. All 2 districts’ results →
President, 2024: Menasha, the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Menasha | 50.5% | 48.1% | 1.4% | 9,517 |
| Wisconsin | 48.7% | 49.6% | 1.7% | 3,422,918 |
Menasha is two counties, so there is no single county to set beside it; its result is theirs combined.
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 Menasha.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofmenasha-wi.gov ↗
- 2Wisconsin AssemblyMenasha is split between 2 districts
- 3Wisconsin SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Wisconsin
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Menasha compares with the towns next door
Menasha spent $1,289 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $368 to $1,227. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Harrison | $368 | $4,455 |
| Fox Crossing | $919 | $4,022 |
| Appleton | $1,226 | $3,588 |
| Neenah | $1,227 | $3,477 |
| Harrison | estimate | — |
| Menasha | $1,289 | $3,621 |
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 Menasha’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Menasha’s government
How much does Menasha spend per resident?
About $1,430 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,289 was more than 61% of 59 Wisconsin cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Menasha?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,621 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.89% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofmenasha-wi.gov.
Who runs Menasha’s government?
See cityofmenasha-wi.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Menasha yet.
How did Menasha vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 50.5%, Donald J Trump 48.1% (9,517 votes, official results). Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Menasha?
153 full-time and 41 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.1M (about $13.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Menasha in the state legislature?
Menasha is split among 2 Assembly districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Wisconsin Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Menasha?
The next posted meeting is Redevelopment Authority on Tuesday, November 3, at 5:15 pm in 100 Main Street, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Menasha’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 →