Photo: Michael Rivera · CC BY-SA 4.0How is Cleveland run?
Cleveland’s city government spent $5.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,218 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Cleveland is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,218 per resident a year, or $3.34 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 34%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,218 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Cleveland’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,218 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–$1,467. Cleveland spent more than 59% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.6 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; Cleveland itself left out).
No trend yet
Cleveland reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,056 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.62% 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 Cleveland’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 Cleveland’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Cleveland →
Who’s in charge in Cleveland
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Cleveland’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofclevelandga.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 126 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 2022 finance file (4,167).
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.
White County School District
Cleveland’s K–12 school district, shared with Helen. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,290 per pupil, $9,301 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.
Cleveland’s votes are counted by county
Georgia reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Cleveland alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are White County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican84.0%14,136 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat15.5%2,609 votesOthers: 0.5% (80 votes).
Most votes in White County: Donald J Trump
Georgia: Trump 50.7%, Harris 48.5%
100% of Cleveland lies in White County. Every 2024 race in White County is on the county’s page.
White 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 Cleveland.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofclevelandga.org ↗
- 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 Cleveland’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Cleveland’s government
How much does Cleveland spend per resident?
About $1,218 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,218 was more than 59% of 105 Georgia cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Cleveland?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,056 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.62% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofclevelandga.org.
Who runs Cleveland’s government?
See cityofclevelandga.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Cleveland yet.
How did Cleveland vote in 2024?
Georgia counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Cleveland alone. White County, where 100% of Cleveland lies, voted Trump 84.0%, Harris 15.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Cleveland?
33 full-time and 26 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $183,415 (about $2.2M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Cleveland in the state legislature?
State Senate District 51 (Steve Gooch) and State House District 8 (Stan Gunter). The House district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Cleveland’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 →