Photo: Amcannally · CC BY-SA 4.0How is Gardendale run?
Gardendale’s city government spent $16.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $1,170 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau.
What stands out about how Gardendale is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Jefferson County School District
Gardendale’s K–12 school district, shared with Adamsville, Brighton, Brookside, Cardiff, Center Point and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,625 per pupil, $6,769 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.
About $1,170 per resident a year, or $3.21 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 24%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,170 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Gardendale’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,170 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 25 Alabama cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,299, and the middle half spent $976–$1,768. Gardendale spent less than 60% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Alabama cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Gardendale itself left out).
No trend yet
Gardendale reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2024 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, up from 124 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
The typical homeowner pays $1,277 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.51% 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 Gardendale’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.
Tax bills are one input to Gardendale’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Gardendale →
Who’s in charge in Gardendale
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Gardendale’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofgardendale.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 110 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (14,113).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Gardendale’s votes are counted by county
Alabama reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Gardendale alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Jefferson County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat54.3%162,112 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican43.9%131,123 votesOthers: 1.8% (5,469 votes).
Most votes in Jefferson County: Kamala D Harris
Alabama: Trump 64.6%, Harris 34.1%
100% of Gardendale lies in Jefferson County. Every 2024 race in Jefferson County is on the county’s page.
Jefferson 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 Gardendale.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofgardendale.com ↗
- 2Alabama HouseGardendale is split between 2 districts
- 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 Gardendale compares with the towns next door
Gardendale spent $1,170 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $1,469. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Brookside | $1,469 | $497 |
| Fultondale | estimate | $802 |
| Gardendale | $1,170 | $1,277 |
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 Gardendale’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Gardendale’s government
How much does Gardendale spend per resident?
About $1,170 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 $1,170 was less than 60% of 25 Alabama cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Gardendale?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,277 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.51% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.38% across Alabama. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofgardendale.com.
Who runs Gardendale’s government?
See cityofgardendale.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Gardendale yet.
How did Gardendale vote in 2024?
Alabama counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Gardendale alone. Jefferson County, where 100% of Gardendale lies, voted Harris 54.3%, Trump 43.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Gardendale?
128 full-time and 85 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.0M (about $12.0M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Gardendale in the state legislature?
Gardendale is split among 2 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Alabama Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Gardendale’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 →