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Town Hall · Ideal

How is Ideal run?

Ideal’s city government spent $107,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $249 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Ideal didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.

Election Day

Today

General election in Georgia.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$107,000
year to June 30, 2022 · Census estimate
Per resident, 2022
$249
Census estimate · not compared
Long-term debt
$153,000
end of FY2022 · Census estimate
City staff, 2022
7
full-time · 5 part-time · March payroll $26,058 · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$554
1.13% of home value · GA 0.77%

What stands out about how Ideal is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $249 per resident a year, or $0.68 a day

Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: police, at 59%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 32%From other local governments 23%Property taxes 22%Utility sales 20%Other taxes & licenses 2%Interest, fines & other 1%
An estimate

Ideal didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.

Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $4,000. With these, the whole budget was $111,000.
Compared with similar places · Over the years

No comparison or trend for Ideal yet

Every year of Ideal’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the city reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.

How Town Hall compares budgets →
Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $554 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.13% of the home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Georgia$2,341
Ideal$554
$554
typical bill a year
1.13%
effective rate
$48,900
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Ideal

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 61 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 (430).

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

Administration & buildings4 + 4 pt
Roads & transportation1
Sewer & trash1
Water & other utilities1
Courts, inspections & corrections0 + 1 pt
7
full-time
5
part-time
$26,058
payroll for March 2022
$312,696
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$28,400
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Estimates.Ideal didn’t report its staff figures; these are the Census Bureau’s estimates, so they aren’t compared with other towns.

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

Macon County School District

Ideal’s K–12 school district, shared with Marshallville, Montezuma, Oglethorpe. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Ideal →
$18,086
per pupil · GA $15,800
1,099
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $18,086 per pupil, $8,493 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 48%State 29%Federal 23%

Georgia districts overall: 49% local, 39% state, 12% federal.

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Ideal’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Macon County’s results4,686 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat58.8%2,755 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican40.9%1,916 votes

Others: 0.3% (15 votes).

Most votes in Macon County: Kamala D Harris

Georgia: Trump 50.7%, Harris 48.5%

The county’s page

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

Macon 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 Ideal

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Ideal.

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

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

Reach Ideal’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Ideal’s government

How much does Ideal spend per resident?

About $249 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Ideal didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $111,000.

What is the property tax rate in Ideal?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $554 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.13% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.

Who runs Ideal’s government?

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

How did Ideal vote in 2024?

Georgia counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Ideal alone. Macon County, where 100% of Ideal lies, voted Harris 58.8%, Trump 40.9% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Ideal?

7 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $26,058 (about $312,696 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Ideal in the state legislature?

State Senate District 15 (Ed Harbison) and State House District 150 (Patty Marie Stinson). The House district also covers 14 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Ideal’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 (for Ideal, the Bureau’s estimates); 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 →