How is Portland run?
Portland’s town government spent $484,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $448 per resident.
What stands out about how Portland is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Waterloo School District
Portland’s K–12 school district, shared with Waterloo, Waterloo. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,167 per pupil, $9,114 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.
Columbus School District · $15,320 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $448 per resident a year, or $1.23 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 46%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$441 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
Portland’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($441 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 $371–$727. Portland spent less than 62% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($17,000), 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 towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Portland itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 5% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Portland 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: $441 · 2023: $448.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,531 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.26% 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 Portland’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 Portland’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Portland →
Who’s in charge in Portland
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
How Portland voted in 2024
Official results for Portland’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican65.4%465 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat33.8%240 votesOthers: 0.8% (6 votes).
Most votes in Portland: Donald J Trump
Dodge County: Trump 65.7%, Harris 32.8% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
Most votes in Portland: Eric Hovde
Dodge County: Hovde 64.0%, Baldwin 33.7% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%
Most votes in the district: Scott Fitzgerald
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Portland, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland | 65.4% | 33.8% | 0.8% | 711 |
| Dodge County | 65.7% | 32.8% | 1.4% | 50,300 |
| Wisconsin | 49.6% | 48.7% | 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 Portland.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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.
How Portland compares with the towns next door
Portland spent $441 per resident in 2022; the 6 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $326 to $1,287. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
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 Portland’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Portland’s government
How much does Portland spend per resident?
About $448 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $441 was less than 62% of 1113 Wisconsin towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Portland?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,531 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.26% 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 Portland’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Portland yet.
How did Portland vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 65.4%, Kamala D Harris 33.8% (711 votes, official results). Dodge County: Trump 65.7%, Harris 32.8%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Portland?
0 full-time and 15 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $3,626 (about $43,512 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Portland in the state legislature?
State Senate District 16 (Melissa Ratcliff) and Assembly District 48 (Andrew Hysell). The Assembly district also covers eight other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Portland’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 →