Photo: Robbie Honerkamp · CC BY-SA 3.0Blakely spent more per resident in 2022 than 81% of similar cities
Blakely’s city government spent $6.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,536 per resident. Water and other utilities ($8.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Blakely is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,536 per resident in 2022: more than 81% of them
Blakely’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,536 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 105 Georgia cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,116, and the middle half spent $820–$1,437. Blakely spent more than 81% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.4 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Georgia cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Blakely itself left out).
About $1,536 per resident a year, or $4.21 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 22%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Blakely reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,280 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.84% of the home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Blakely’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 Blakely’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Blakely →
Who’s in charge in Blakely
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Blakely’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofblakely.net ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 49 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 (4,491).
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.
Early County School District
Blakely’s K–12 school district, shared with Damascus, Jakin, Arlington. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,864 per pupil, $10,958 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.
Georgia districts overall: 49% local, 39% state, 12% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Blakely’s votes are counted by county
Georgia reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Blakely alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Early County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican55.7%2,718 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat44.2%2,158 votesOthers: 0.1% (3 votes).
Most votes in Early County: Donald J Trump
Georgia: Trump 50.7%, Harris 48.5%
100% of Blakely lies in Early County. Every 2024 race in Early County is on the county’s page.
Early 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 Blakely.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofblakely.net ↗
- 2Georgia HouseState representatives
- 3Georgia SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Georgia
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Blakely’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Blakely’s government
How much does Blakely spend per resident?
About $1,536 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,536 was more than 81% of 105 Georgia cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Blakely?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,280 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.84% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofblakely.net.
Who runs Blakely’s government?
See cityofblakely.net for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Blakely yet.
How did Blakely vote in 2024?
Georgia counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Blakely alone. Early County, where 100% of Blakely lies, voted Trump 55.7%, Harris 44.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Blakely?
92 full-time and 10 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $329,688 (about $4.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Blakely in the state legislature?
State Senate District 12 (Freddie Sims) and State House District 154 (Gerald Greene). The House district also covers 16 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Blakely’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 →