How is Brilliant run?
Brilliant’s town government spent $0 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $0 per resident.
What stands out about how Brilliant is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Marion County School District
Brilliant’s K–12 school district, shared with Bear Creek, Guin, Hackleburg, Hamilton, Gu-Win and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,948 per pupil, $7,263 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.
Alabama districts overall: 31% local, 53% state, 16% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
No comparison or trend for Brilliant yet
The fair comparison uses 2022, the last year the Census Bureau counted every government (later years are a sample), and Brilliant’s 2022 operating figures are mostly a Census estimate, so they aren’t compared. It reported 2022 only, so there is no trend yet either. The next full count is 2027.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $260 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.55% of the home’s value, vs 0.38% across Alabama.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Brilliant’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 Brilliant’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Brilliant →
Who’s in charge in Brilliant
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Brilliant’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on brilliantal.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 216 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (862).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Brilliant’s votes are counted by county
Alabama reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Brilliant alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Marion County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican90.4%12,245 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat8.8%1,197 votesOthers: 0.7% (101 votes).
Most votes in Marion County: Donald J Trump
Alabama: Trump 64.6%, Harris 34.1%
100% of Brilliant lies in Marion County. Every 2024 race in Marion County is on the county’s page.
Marion County’s 2024 results →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 Brilliant.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: brilliantal.org ↗
- 2Alabama HouseState representatives
- 3Alabama SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Alabama
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Brilliant compares with the towns next door
Brilliant’s 2022 figures are a Census estimate, so it isn’t placed among them. Neighbors that reported 2022 spent $619 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Winfield | $619 | $466 |
| Brilliant | estimate | $260 |
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 Brilliant’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Brilliant’s government
How much does Brilliant spend per resident?
About $0 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau.
What is the property tax rate in Brilliant?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $260 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.55% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.38% across Alabama. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see brilliantal.org.
Who runs Brilliant’s government?
See brilliantal.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Brilliant yet.
How did Brilliant vote in 2024?
Alabama counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Brilliant alone. Marion County, where 100% of Brilliant lies, voted Trump 90.4%, Harris 8.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Brilliant?
4 full-time and 10 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $21,681 (about $260,172 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Brilliant in the state legislature?
State Senate District 4 (Garlan Gudger) and State House District 17 (Tracy Estes). The House district also covers 15 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Brilliant’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 →