Photo: Emmanuel2312 · CC BY-SA 4.0McRae-Helena spent less per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar cities
McRae-Helena’s city government spent $4 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $477 per resident. Water and other utilities ($644,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how McRae-Helena is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$477 per resident in 2022: less than 96% of them
McRae-Helena’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($477 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 $1,117, and the middle half spent $826–$1,467. McRae-Helena spent less than 96% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.3 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; McRae-Helena itself left out).
About $477 per resident a year, or $1.31 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 33%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
McRae-Helena reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,284 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.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at McRae-Helena’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 McRae-Helena’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in McRae-Helena →
Who’s in charge in McRae-Helena
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
McRae-Helena’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on mcraehelena.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 244 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 (8,282).
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.
Telfair County School District
McRae-Helena’s K–12 school district, shared with Jacksonville, Lumber City, Scotland, Milan. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,895 per pupil, $10,030 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.
McRae-Helena’s votes are counted by county
Georgia reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for McRae-Helena alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Telfair County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican69.5%2,930 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat30.2%1,274 votesOthers: 0.2% (10 votes).
Most votes in Telfair County: Donald J Trump
Georgia: Trump 50.7%, Harris 48.5%
100% of McRae-Helena lies in Telfair County; the rest in Wheeler County. Every 2024 race in Telfair County is on the county’s page.
Telfair 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 McRae-Helena.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: mcraehelena.gov ↗
- 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 McRae-Helena’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about McRae-Helena’s government
How much does McRae-Helena spend per resident?
About $477 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 $477 was less than 96% of 105 Georgia cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in McRae-Helena?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,284 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 mcraehelena.gov.
Who runs McRae-Helena’s government?
See mcraehelena.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for McRae-Helena yet.
How did McRae-Helena vote in 2024?
Georgia counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for McRae-Helena alone. Telfair County, where 100% of McRae-Helena lies, voted Trump 69.5%, Harris 30.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for McRae-Helena?
34 full-time and 1 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $122,567 (about $1.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents McRae-Helena in the state legislature?
State Senate District 19 (Blake Tillery) and State House District 133 (Danny Mathis). The House district also covers 14 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about McRae-Helena’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 →