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Old JailOld Jail · Photo: Mthunter58 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Gordo

Gordo spent more per resident in 2022 than 84% of similar cities

Gordo’s town government spent $1.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $994 per resident.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$1.6M
year to September 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$994
In 2022: $994, more than 84% of 109 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of FY2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
10
full-time · 1 part-time · March payroll $28,135
Typical tax bill
$506
0.43% of home value · AL 0.38%

What stands out about how Gordo is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $994 per resident, more than 84% of 109 similar cities.A shared school districtShares Pickens County School District with 6+ other towns.Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $506 a year: 0.43% of the home’s value, vs 0.38% across Alabama.
Compared with similar places

$994 per resident in 2022: more than 84% of them

Gordo’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($994 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. Gordo spent more than 84% of them.

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

Includes sewer and trash ($67,000), 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; Gordo itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $994 per resident a year, or $2.72 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 29%.

Where the money comes from
Sales taxes 46%Property taxes 19%Interest, fines & other 17%Fees & charges 14%From the state 3%Other taxes & licenses 1%From other local governments <1%
About “Other”.33% of Gordo’s day-to-day spending ($528,000) 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

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $506 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.43% of the home’s value, vs 0.38% across Alabama.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Alabama$788
Gordo$506
$506
typical bill a year
0.43%
effective rate
$118,900
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Gordo

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

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

One full-time town employee for every 159 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 (1,594).

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

Police4 + 1 pt
Administration & buildings2
Roads & transportation2
Sewer & trash2
10
full-time
1
part-time
$28,135
payroll for March 2022
$337,620
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$32,800
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
4
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Gordo had 6.3 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: Gordo had more than 55% 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

Pickens County School District

Gordo’s K–12 school district, shared with Aliceville, Carrollton, Ethelsville, McMullen, Memphis and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Gordo →
$15,040
per pupil · AL $13,926
2,249
students
$7.6 million
long-term debt

Of the $15,040 per pupil, $8,307 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 18%State 57%Federal 25%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Gordo’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Pickens County’s results8,912 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican61.3%5,465 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat38.0%3,388 votes

Others: 0.7% (59 votes).

Most votes in Pickens County: Donald J Trump

Alabama: Trump 64.6%, Harris 34.1%

The county’s page

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

Pickens 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 Gordo

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Gordo.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Alabama HouseState representatives
    Ron Bolton
  3. 3
    Alabama SenateState senator
    Gerald Allen
  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 Gordo’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Gordo’s government

How much does Gordo spend per resident?

About $994 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 $994 was more than 84% of 109 Alabama cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Gordo?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $506 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.43% 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 Gordo’s government?

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

How did Gordo vote in 2024?

Alabama counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Gordo alone. Pickens County, where 100% of Gordo lies, voted Trump 61.3%, Harris 38.0% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Gordo?

10 full-time and 1 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $28,135 (about $337,620 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Gordo in the state legislature?

State Senate District 21 (Gerald Allen) and State House District 61 (Ron Bolton). The House district also covers six other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Gordo’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 →