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Lawtey, FloridaPhoto: LittleT889 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Lawtey

Lawtey spent less per resident in 2022 than 67% of similar cities

Lawtey’s city government spent $525,000 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $709 per resident. Water and other utilities ($125,000) are counted separately.

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General election in Florida.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$525,000
year to September 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$709
In 2022: $709, less than 67% of 122 similar cities
Long-term debt
$2.0M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
6
full-time · 9 part-time · March payroll $22,892
Typical tax bill
$1,021
0.61% of home value · FL 0.76%

What stands out about how Lawtey is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$709 per resident in 2022: less than 67% of them

Lawtey’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($709 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 122 Florida cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,114, and the middle half spent $538–$1,752. Lawtey spent less than 67% of them.

Middle half of the group, $538–$1,752Median $1,114Lawtey

Includes sewer and trash ($87,000), 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
122

Florida cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Lawtey itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $709 per resident a year, or $1.94 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 51%.

Where the money comes from
From the federal government 38%Interest, fines & other 17%Utility sales 14%Fees & charges 10%Other taxes & licenses 9%From the state 6%Sales taxes 3%Property taxes 2%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $267,000; interest on debt $68,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $985,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,021 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.61% of the home’s value, vs 0.76% across Florida.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Florida$2,730
Lawtey$1,021
$1,021
typical bill a year
0.61%
effective rate
$167,500
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Lawtey

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 123 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 (740).

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

Administration & buildings2 + 5 pt
Police3 + 2 pt
Roads & transportation1
Water & other utilities0 + 2 pt
6
full-time
9
part-time
$22,892
payroll for March 2022
$274,704
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$34,700
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
3
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Lawtey had 8.1 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 99 of the 122 Florida cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 6.5: Lawtey had more than 62% 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

Bradford County School District

Lawtey’s K–12 school district, shared with Brooker, Hampton, Starke. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Lawtey →
$12,025
per pupil · FL $13,006
2,928
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $12,025 per pupil, $5,898 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 25%State 51%Federal 24%

Florida districts overall: 55% local, 29% state, 15% federal.

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Lawtey’s votes are counted by county

Florida reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lawtey alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Bradford County’s results.

President · Bradford County’s results13,952 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican78.3%10,920 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat21.1%2,946 votes

Others: 0.6% (86 votes).

Most votes in Bradford County: Donald J Trump

Florida: Trump 56.1%, Harris 43.0%

The county’s page

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

Bradford 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 Lawtey

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Lawtey.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Florida HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Florida SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Florida

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Lawtey’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Lawtey’s government

How much does Lawtey spend per resident?

About $709 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 $709 was less than 67% of 122 Florida cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Lawtey?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,021 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.61% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.76% across Florida. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.

Who runs Lawtey’s government?

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

How did Lawtey vote in 2024?

Florida counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lawtey alone. Bradford County, where 100% of Lawtey lies, voted Trump 78.3%, Harris 21.1% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Lawtey?

6 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $22,892 (about $274,704 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Lawtey in the state legislature?

State Senate District 6 (Jennifer Bradley) and State House District 10 (Chuck Brannan). The House district also covers 14 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Lawtey’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 →