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Town Hall · Sweet Water

Sweet Water spent more per resident in 2022 than 69% of similar cities

Sweet Water’s town government spent $154,000 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $634 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$154,000
year to September 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$634
In 2022: $634, more than 69% of 109 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of FY2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
1
full-time · 1 part-time · March payroll $2,059
Typical tax bill
$560
0.35% of home value · AL 0.38%

What stands out about how Sweet Water is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $634 per resident, more than 69% of 109 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer25% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Marengo County School District with 3 other towns.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $560 a year: 0.35% of the home’s value, vs 0.38% across Alabama.
Compared with similar places

$634 per resident in 2022: more than 69% of them

Sweet Water’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($634 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–$735. Sweet Water spent more than 69% of them.

Middle half of the group, $186–$735Median $425Sweet Water

Includes sewer and trash ($39,000), 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; Sweet Water itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $634 per resident a year, or $1.74 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 47%.

Where the money comes from
From the state 36%Sales taxes 31%Fees & charges 16%Other taxes & licenses 11%Interest, fines & other 3%Property taxes 3%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $57,000. With these, the whole budget was $211,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

Sweet Water reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2023 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $560 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.35% of the home’s value, vs 0.38% across Alabama.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Alabama$788
Sweet Water$560
$560
typical bill a year
0.35%
effective rate
$161,600
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Sweet Water

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

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

One full-time town employee for every 243 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 (243).

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

Administration & buildings1
Police0 + 1 pt
1
full-time
1
part-time
$2,059
payroll for March 2022
$24,708
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$17,000
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Sweet Water had 4.1 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: Sweet Water had fewer than 68% 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

Marengo County School District

Sweet Water’s K–12 school district, shared with Dayton, Faunsdale, Thomaston. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Sweet Water →
$18,251
per pupil · AL $13,926
970
students
$2.8 million
long-term debt

Of the $18,251 per pupil, $10,295 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 24%State 49%Federal 27%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Sweet Water’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Marengo County’s results9,682 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican51.6%4,995 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat47.8%4,631 votes

Others: 0.6% (56 votes).

Most votes in Marengo County: Donald J Trump

Alabama: Trump 64.6%, Harris 34.1%

The county’s page

100% of Sweet Water lies in Marengo County. Every 2024 race in Marengo County is on the county’s page.

Marengo 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 Sweet Water

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Sweet Water.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Alabama HouseState representatives
    A.J. McCampbell
  3. 3
    Alabama SenateState senator
    Bobby Singleton
  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 Sweet Water’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Sweet Water’s government

How much does Sweet Water spend per resident?

About $634 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 $634 was more than 69% of 109 Alabama cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Sweet Water?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $560 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.35% 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 Sweet Water’s government?

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

How did Sweet Water vote in 2024?

Alabama counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Sweet Water alone. Marengo County, where 100% of Sweet Water lies, voted Trump 51.6%, Harris 47.8% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Sweet Water?

1 full-time and 1 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $2,059 (about $24,708 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Sweet Water in the state legislature?

State Senate District 24 (Bobby Singleton) and State House District 71 (A.J. McCampbell). The House district also covers 18 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Sweet Water’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 →