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Town Hall · Morris

Morris spent less per resident in 2022 than 99% of similar cities

Morris’ town government spent $394,000 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, about $175 per resident.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Alabama.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2023
$394,000
year to September 30, 2023
Per resident, 2023
$175
In 2022: $18, less than 99% of 109 similar cities
Long-term debt
$200,000
end of FY2023, reported
Town staff, 2022
10
full-time · 11 part-time · March payroll $40,754
Typical tax bill
$1,241
0.51% of home value · AL 0.38%

What stands out about how Morris is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$18 per resident in 2022: less than 99% of them

Morris’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($18 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. Morris spent less than 99% of them.

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

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; Morris itself left out).

Your share of the 2023 budget

About $175 per resident a year, or $0.48 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 42%.

Where the money comes from
Other taxes & licenses 57%Sales taxes 29%Interest, fines & other 14%From other local governments <1%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $8,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $407,000.
Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 910% since 2022

Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Morris reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$39,000
2023$394,000

Per resident: 2022: $18 · 2023: $175. Per resident it went from $18 to $175 (up 872%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 2,182 to 2,254.

Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,241 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.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Kimberly$1,416
Morris$1,241
Alabama$788
$1,241
typical bill a year
0.51%
effective rate
$241,400
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Morris

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

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

One full-time town employee for every 225 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (2,254).

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

Police6
Fire0 + 8 pt
Roads & transportation3
Courts, inspections & corrections0 + 3 pt
Administration & buildings1
10
full-time
11
part-time
$40,754
payroll for March 2022
$489,048
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$37,800
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
6
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Morris had 4.6 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 5.9: Morris had fewer than 63% 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

Jefferson County School District

Morris’ 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.

Schools in Morris →
$12,625
per pupil · AL $13,926
35,671
students
$274.2 million
long-term debt

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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 30%State 57%Federal 13%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Morris’ votes are counted by county

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

President · Jefferson County’s results298,704 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat54.3%162,112 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican43.9%131,123 votes

Others: 1.8% (5,469 votes).

Most votes in Jefferson County: Kamala D Harris

Alabama: Trump 64.6%, Harris 34.1%

The county’s page

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

Jefferson 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 Morris

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Morris.

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.

Next door

How Morris compares with the towns next door

Morris spent $18 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $398. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Kimberly$398$1,416
Morris$18$1,241

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 Morris’ government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Morris’ government

How much does Morris spend per resident?

About $175 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $18 was less than 99% of 109 Alabama cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Morris?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,241 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 the town’s assessor.

Who runs Morris’ government?

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

How did Morris vote in 2024?

Alabama counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Morris alone. Jefferson County, where 100% of Morris lies, voted Harris 54.3%, Trump 43.9% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Morris?

10 full-time and 11 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $40,754 (about $489,048 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Morris in the state legislature?

State Senate District 17 (Shay Shelnutt) and State House District 51 (Allen Treadaway). The House district also covers eight other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Morris’ 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 →