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Town Hall · Menlo

How is Menlo run?

Menlo’s city government spent $384,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $846 per resident. Water and other utilities ($245,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Today

General election in Georgia.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$384,000
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$846
In 2022: $846, more than 60% of 243 similar cities
Long-term debt
$136,000
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
2
full-time · 12 part-time · March payroll $29,891
Typical tax bill
$1,514
1.04% of home value · GA 0.77%

What stands out about how Menlo is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Runs its own water & sewer46% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Chattooga County School District with 2 other towns.Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $1,514 a year: 1.04% of the home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia.
★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $846 per resident a year, or $2.32 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 38%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 22%From other local governments 18%Utility sales 14%From the federal government 12%Sales taxes 12%Interest, fines & other 10%Property taxes 9%From the state 3%Other taxes & licenses 1%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $14,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $643,000.
Compared with similar places

$846 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

Menlo’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($846 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 243 Georgia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $696, and the middle half spent $428–$1,080. Menlo spent more than 60% of them.

Middle half of the group, $428–$1,080Median $696Menlo

Includes sewer and trash ($46,000), 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
243

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

Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,514 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.04% of the home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Georgia$2,341
Menlo$1,514
$1,514
typical bill a year
1.04%
effective rate
$144,900
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Menlo

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 227 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 (454).

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

Administration & buildings0 + 8 pt
Water & other utilities2
Police0 + 3 pt
Fire0 + 1 pt
2
full-time
12
part-time
$29,891
payroll for March 2022
$358,692
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$29,400
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Menlo had 4.4 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 203 of the 243 Georgia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 5.6: Menlo had fewer than 59% 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

Chattooga County School District

Menlo’s K–12 school district, shared with Lyerly, Summerville. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Menlo →
$14,009
per pupil · GA $15,800
2,685
students
$18 million
long-term debt

Of the $14,009 per pupil, $8,107 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 33%State 49%Federal 18%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Menlo’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Chattooga County’s results10,706 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican81.9%8,769 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat17.7%1,896 votes

Others: 0.4% (41 votes).

Most votes in Chattooga County: Donald J Trump

Georgia: Trump 50.7%, Harris 48.5%

The county’s page

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

Chattooga 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 Menlo

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Menlo.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Georgia HouseState representatives
    Eddie Lumsden
  3. 3
    Georgia SenateState senator
    Lanny Thomas
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Brian Kemp
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Clay Fuller
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Georgia
    Jon OssoffRaphael G. Warnock

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

Reach Menlo’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Menlo’s government

How much does Menlo spend per resident?

About $846 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 $846 was more than 60% of 243 Georgia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Menlo?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,514 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.04% 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 Menlo’s government?

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

How did Menlo vote in 2024?

Georgia counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Menlo alone. Chattooga County, where 100% of Menlo lies, voted Trump 81.9%, Harris 17.7% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Menlo?

2 full-time and 12 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $29,891 (about $358,692 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Menlo in the state legislature?

State Senate District 53 (Lanny Thomas) and State House District 12 (Eddie Lumsden). The House district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Menlo’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 →