Town Hall · Columbus

Columbus, NE town hall & government

Columbus spent $75.8 million in the year to September 30, 2024, about $3,131 per resident.

Where the money goes, where it comes from, property taxes, and how to reach Columbus's government.

Town budget

Where Columbus's money goes

Spent
$75.8 million
fiscal year to September 30, 2024
Per resident
$3,131
typical Nebraska cities: $4,803
Long-term debt
$64.4 million
$2,663 per resident
Parks & libraries
$18.8 million25%
Roads & transportation
$14.3 million19%
Sewer & trash
$10 million13%
Police
$7.6 million10%
Administration & buildings
$7.5 million10%
Water & other utilities
$7.5 million10%
Fire
$4.9 million6%
Housing & development
$3.1 million4%
Health & welfare
$2.1 million3%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$10,000<1%
Other
$15,000<1%

Where the money comes from

  • Sales taxes 24%
  • Fees & charges 22%
  • Property taxes 20%
  • From the state 14%
  • Utility sales 13%
  • From the federal government 4%
  • Interest, fines & other 3%
  • From other local governments 1%
Town workforce · Census estimate

Who works for Columbus

Full-time staff
224
14 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$76,100
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
46
and 18 full-time firefighters
Parks & libraries
44 full-time13 part
Police
46 full-time
Sewer & trash
30 full-time
Roads & transportation
26 full-time
Administration & buildings
25 full-time
Fire
18 full-time1 part
Health & welfare
5 full-time
Water & other utilities
3 full-time
Other
27 full-time

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2025. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate. Columbus didn't report its staffing to the Census Bureau, so these are the Bureau's estimates.

Schools · school year 2023–24

Columbus Public Schools

Columbus's K–12 school district, shared with Duncan and Butler. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$13,742
Nebraska: $15,602
Students
4,145
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$42 million
at year end

Where the district's money comes from Nebraska districts overall: 56% local, 34% state, 10% federal

  • Local 52%
  • State 35%
  • Federal 13%

Of the $13,742 per pupil, $8,293 goes to classroom instruction (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to support services such as buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren't in the per-pupil figure.

Property tax

What homeowners in Columbus pay

Typical tax bill
$2,990
a year · Nebraska typical $3,549
Effective rate
1.40%
of home value · Nebraska 1.49%
Typical home value
$213,600
owner-occupied

The median yearly bill homeowners report, covering every local property tax on the home (town, schools, county). The effective rate is that bill divided by the median home value, so it's a rough guide, not the official tax rate.

Local

Contact Columbus's government

🏛️ Official websitecolumbusne.us ↗

Town hall & decisions in Columbus →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Columbus

Columbus is represented in Congress by Senators Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts and Representative Mike Flood. Jim Pillen is governor.

All of Columbus's representatives, with contacts →

Budget: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Finance (every city and town government's revenue, spending and debt, grouped into plain categories). Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

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Columbus

Nebraska · NE
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