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Choctaw County Alabama CourthousePhoto: RuralSWAlabama (Billy Milstead) · CC BY 3.0
Town Hall · Butler

Butler spent more per resident in 2022 than 89% of similar cities

Butler’s town government spent $2.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $1,339 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.2 million) are counted separately.

Election Day

Today

General election in Alabama.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$2.3M
year to September 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,339
In 2022: $1,339, more than 89% of 109 similar cities
Long-term debt
$2.9M
end of FY2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
23
full-time · 2 part-time · March payroll $75,279
Typical tax bill
$338
0.23% of home value · AL 0.38%

What stands out about how Butler is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,339 per resident, more than 89% of 109 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer49% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Choctaw County School District with 6+ other towns.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $338 a year: 0.23% of the home’s value, vs 0.38% across Alabama.
Compared with similar places

$1,339 per resident in 2022: more than 89% of them

Butler’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,339 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 109 Alabama cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $425, and the middle half spent $186–$701. Butler spent more than 89% of them.

Middle half of the group, $186–$701Median $425Butler

Includes sewer and trash ($487,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
109

Alabama cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Butler itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,339 per resident a year, or $3.67 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 32%.

Where the money comes from
Sales taxes 29%Utility sales 25%From the state 19%Fees & charges 14%Interest, fines & other 6%Other taxes & licenses 5%Property taxes 2%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $1.6 million; interest on debt $89,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $5.2 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

Butler reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $338 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.23% of the home’s value, vs 0.38% across Alabama.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Alabama$788
Butler$338
$338
typical bill a year
0.23%
effective rate
$145,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Butler’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 Butler’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Butler →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Butler

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

Check Butler’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Butler yet.
Who works for Butler

One full-time town employee for every 74 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 (1,694).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Police7 + 2 pt
Roads & transportation6
Administration & buildings5
Water & other utilities5
23
full-time
2
part-time
$75,279
payroll for March 2022
$903,348
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$38,100
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
7
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Butler had 13.6 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 87 of the 109 Alabama cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 5.7: Butler had more than 84% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Choctaw County School District

Butler’s K–12 school district, shared with Gilbertown, Lisman, Needham, Pennington, Silas and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Butler →
$18,051
per pupil · AL $13,926
1,034
students
$3.6 million
long-term debt

Of the $18,051 per pupil, $7,565 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 34%State 35%Federal 31%

Alabama districts overall: 31% local, 53% state, 16% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Butler’s votes are counted by county

Alabama reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Butler alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Choctaw County’s results.

President · Choctaw County’s results6,656 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican61.6%4,103 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat37.8%2,515 votes

Others: 0.6% (38 votes).

Most votes in Choctaw County: Donald J Trump

Alabama: Trump 64.6%, Harris 34.1%

The county’s page

100% of Butler lies in Choctaw County. Every 2024 race in Choctaw County is on the county’s page.

Choctaw County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Butler

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Butler.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Alabama HouseState representatives
    Brett Easterbrook
  3. 3
    Alabama SenateState senator
    Bobby Singleton
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Kay Ivey
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Terri A. Sewell
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Alabama
    Tommy TubervilleKatie Boyd Britt

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Butler’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Butler’s government

How much does Butler spend per resident?

About $1,339 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,339 was more than 89% of 109 Alabama cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Butler?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $338 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.23% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.38% across Alabama. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.

Who runs Butler’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Butler yet.

How did Butler vote in 2024?

Alabama counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Butler alone. Choctaw County, where 100% of Butler lies, voted Trump 61.6%, Harris 37.8% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Butler?

23 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $75,279 (about $903,348 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Butler in the state legislature?

State Senate District 24 (Bobby Singleton) and State House District 65 (Brett Easterbrook). The House district also covers 14 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Butler’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →