Town Hall · Columbus

Columbus, WI town hall & government

Columbus spent $17 million in the year to December 31, 2022, about $3,313 per resident.

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

Local leadership

Who runs Columbus

From public records (Open States and Wikidata), which can lag behind an election. If a name is out of date, tell us: when two neighbors agree, it's hidden until the records catch up.

Town budget

Where Columbus's money goes

Spent
$17 million
fiscal year to December 31, 2022
Per resident
$3,313
typical Wisconsin cities: $2,033
Long-term debt
$24.3 million
$4,744 per resident
Water & other utilities
$8.5 million50%
Sewer & trash
$1.7 million10%
Police
$1.1 million7%
Interest on debt
$1.1 million6%
Parks & libraries
$978,0006%
Administration & buildings
$872,0005%
Roads & transportation
$816,0005%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$285,0002%
Health & welfare
$208,0001%
Fire
$180,0001%
Other
$1.3 million8%

Where the money comes from

  • Utility sales 49%
  • Property taxes 23%
  • Fees & charges 12%
  • From the state 7%
  • Interest, fines & other 6%
  • From other local governments 2%
  • Other taxes & licenses 1%
  • Sales taxes <1%
Town workforce

Who works for Columbus

Full-time staff
42
39 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$65,200
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
5
full-time, with power of arrest
Police
11 full-time7 part
Administration & buildings
8 full-time8 part
Water & other utilities
9 full-time1 part
Roads & transportation
7 full-time3 part
Parks & libraries
3 full-time7 part
Fire
0 full-time9 part
Sewer & trash
3 full-time
Courts, inspections & corrections
1 full-time1 part
Other
0 full-time3 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

Columbus School District

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

Spending per pupil
$15,320
Wisconsin: $16,459
Students
1,130
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$25.8 million
at year end

Where the district's money comes from Wisconsin districts overall: 39% local, 50% state, 11% federal

  • Local 39%
  • State 52%
  • Federal 10%

Of the $15,320 per pupil, $8,644 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
$3,774
a year · Wisconsin typical $3,792
Effective rate
1.64%
of home value · Wisconsin 1.42%
Typical home value
$230,600
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 websitecityofcolumbuswi.com ↗

Town hall & decisions in Columbus →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Columbus

Columbus is represented in Congress by Senators Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin and Representative Glenn Grothman. Tony Evers 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

Wisconsin · WI
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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01