Edmund Pettus Bridge · Photo: Carol M. Highsmith · Public domainSelma spent less per resident in 2022 than 76% of similar cities
Selma’s city government spent $24.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, about $1,459 per resident.
What stands out about how Selma is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$976 per resident in 2022: less than 76% of them
Selma’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($976 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 $988–$1,768. Selma spent less than 76% 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; Selma itself left out).
About $1,459 per resident a year, or $4.00 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 24%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 53% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Selma reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $976 · 2023: $1,155 · 2024: $1,459.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $445 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.46% 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 Selma’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 Selma’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Selma →
Who’s in charge in Selma
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Selma’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on selma-al.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 62 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (17,023).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Selma City School District
Selma’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,883 per pupil, $7,770 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.
Selma’s votes are counted by county
Alabama reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Selma alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Dallas County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat65.8%10,236 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican33.4%5,190 votesOthers: 0.8% (121 votes).
Most votes in Dallas County: Kamala D Harris
Alabama: Trump 64.6%, Harris 34.1%
100% of Selma lies in Dallas County. Every 2024 race in Dallas County is on the county’s page.
Dallas 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 Selma.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: selma-al.gov ↗
- 2Alabama HouseState representatives
- 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 Selma compares with the towns next door
Selma spent $976 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $34. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Valley Grande | $34 | $549 |
| Selma | $976 | $445 |
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 Selma’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Selma’s government
How much does Selma spend per resident?
About $1,459 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $976 was less than 76% of 25 Alabama cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Selma?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $445 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.46% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.38% across Alabama. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see selma-al.gov.
Who runs Selma’s government?
See selma-al.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Selma yet.
How did Selma vote in 2024?
Alabama counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Selma alone. Dallas County, where 100% of Selma lies, voted Harris 65.8%, Trump 33.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Selma?
275 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $643,141 (about $7.7M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Selma in the state legislature?
State Senate District 23 (Rob Stewart) and State House District 67 (Prince Chestnut). The House district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Selma’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 →