Town Hall · Panama

Panama, NE town hall & government

Panama spent $296,000 in the year to September 30, 2022, about $1,069 per resident.

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

Town budget

Where Panama's money goes

Spent
$296,000
fiscal year to September 30, 2022
Per resident
$1,069
typical Nebraska cities: $3,940
Long-term debt
$18,000
$65 per resident
Sewer & trash
$138,00047%
Administration & buildings
$65,00022%
Water & other utilities
$45,00015%
Roads & transportation
$34,00011%
Parks & libraries
$13,0004%
Interest on debt
$1,000<1%

Where the money comes from

  • Fees & charges 57%
  • Utility sales 14%
  • Property taxes 13%
  • From the state 8%
  • Other taxes & licenses 5%
  • Interest, fines & other 4%
  • From other local governments <1%
Town workforce

Who works for Panama

Full-time staff
1
3 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$67,300
a year, before benefits
Sewer & trash
1 full-time1 part
Administration & buildings
0 full-time2 part

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2022. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate.

Schools · school year 2023–24

Norris School District 160

Panama's K–12 school district, shared with Cortland, Firth, Hickman, Roca, Highland and Nemaha. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$12,514
Nebraska: $15,602
Students
2,409
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$12.4 million
at year end

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

  • Local 65%
  • State 28%
  • Federal 6%

Of the $12,514 per pupil, $7,051 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 Panama pay

Typical tax bill
$3,473
a year · Nebraska typical $3,549
Effective rate
1.76%
of home value · Nebraska 1.49%
Typical home value
$197,800
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. In a town this small the survey estimate has a wide margin.

Local

Contact Panama's government

🏛️ Official websitelancaster.ne.gov/panama ↗

Town hall & decisions in Panama →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Panama

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

All of Panama'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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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01