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Town Hall · Colony

Colony spent less per resident in 2022 than 84% of similar cities

Colony’s town government spent $45,000 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $155 per resident.

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General election in Alabama.

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Day-to-day spending, 2022
$45,000
year to September 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$155
In 2022: $155, less than 84% of 109 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of FY2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
1
full-time · 7 part-time · March payroll $2,763
Typical tax bill
$199
0.41% of home value · AL 0.38%

What stands out about how Colony is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$155 per resident in 2022: less than 84% of them

Colony’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($155 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 $430, and the middle half spent $192–$735. Colony spent less than 84% of them.

Middle half of the group, $192–$735Median $430Colony

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; Colony itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $155 per resident a year, or $0.42 a day

Day-to-day services only.

Where the money comes from
From other local governments 74%From the state 17%Interest, fines & other 4%Fees & charges 3%Other taxes & licenses 2%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $45,000; interest on debt $2,000. With these, the whole budget was $92,000.
About “Other”.100% of Colony’s day-to-day spending ($45,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $199 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.41% of the home’s value, vs 0.38% across Alabama.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Alabama$788
Colony$199
$199
typical bill a year
0.41%
effective rate
$48,600
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Colony

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

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

One full-time town employee for every 291 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 (291).

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

Administration & buildings1 + 6 pt
Other0 + 1 pt
1
full-time
7
part-time
$2,763
payroll for March 2022
$33,156
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$3,600
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Colony had 3.4 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 5.9: Colony had fewer than 75% 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

Cullman County School District

Colony’s K–12 school district, shared with Baileyton, Berlin, Dodge City, Fairview, Good Hope and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Colony →
$12,494
per pupil · AL $13,926
9,902
students
$25.8 million
long-term debt

Of the $12,494 per pupil, $7,054 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 27%State 60%Federal 13%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Colony’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Cullman County’s results43,146 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican89.7%38,704 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat9.4%4,039 votes

Others: 0.9% (403 votes).

Most votes in Cullman County: Donald J Trump

Alabama: Trump 64.6%, Harris 34.1%

The county’s page

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

Cullman 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 Colony

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Colony.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Alabama HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Alabama SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Alabama

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

Reach Colony’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Colony’s government

How much does Colony spend per resident?

About $155 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 $155 was less than 84% of 109 Alabama cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Colony?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $199 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.41% 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 Colony’s government?

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

How did Colony vote in 2024?

Alabama counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Colony alone. Cullman County, where 100% of Colony lies, voted Trump 89.7%, Harris 9.4% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Colony?

1 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $2,763 (about $33,156 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Colony in the state legislature?

State Senate District 4 (Garlan Gudger) and State House District 12 (Cindy Myrex). The House district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Colony’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 →