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Town Hall · Pooler

Pooler spent more per resident in 2022 than 73% of similar cities

Pooler’s city government spent $33.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $1,261 per resident. Water and other utilities ($4.4 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Next public meeting

City Council Regular Meeting

6:00 pm · Pooler City Hall, 100 US Highway 80 SW

All meetings →
Day-to-day spending, 2023
$33.9M
year to December 31, 2023
Per resident, 2023
$1,261
In 2022: $1,153, more than 73% of 22 similar cities
Long-term debt
$38.5M
end of 2023, reported
City staff, 2022
191
full-time · 1 part-time · March payroll $975,997
Typical tax bill
$2,866
0.89% of home value · GA 0.77%

What stands out about how Pooler is run

Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.

Agendas posted online6 upcoming meetings posted, with agendas.Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,153 per resident, more than 73% of 22 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer31% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2023).A shared school districtShares Chatham County School District with 6+ other towns.
★ What stands out · Meetings

6 upcoming meetings at town hall

From Pooler’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.

Recent meetings

Go in person

Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.

Agenda portal ↗
Your share of the 2023 budget

About $1,261 per resident a year, or $3.45 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 22%.

Where the money comes from
From other local governments 29%Fees & charges 17%Interest, fines & other 17%Property taxes 15%Sales taxes 12%Other taxes & licenses 4%Utility sales 4%From the state 1%From the federal government <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $8.5 million; interest on debt $869,000; payments to other governments $1.4 million. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $49.1 million.
Compared with similar places

$1,153 per resident in 2022: more than 73% of them

Pooler’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,153 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 22 Georgia cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $950, and the middle half spent $730–$1,243. Pooler spent more than 73% of them.

Middle half of the group, $730–$1,243Median $950Pooler

Includes sewer and trash ($6.6 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 →

The group
22

Georgia cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Pooler itself left out).

Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 13% since 2022

Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Pooler reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$30 million
2023$33.9 million

Per resident: 2022: $1,153 · 2023: $1,261.

Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,866 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.89% of the home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Pooler$2,866
Georgia$2,341
Savannah$2,040
Bloomingdale$1,474
$2,866
typical bill a year
0.89%
effective rate
$322,400
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Pooler

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

See pooler-ga.us for Pooler’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Pooler yet.pooler-ga.us ↗
Who works for Pooler

One full-time city employee for every 141 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (26,930).

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

Fire57
Police55
Administration & buildings14
Sewer & trash10
Water & other utilities8
Parks & libraries7 + 1 pt
Roads & transportation7
Courts, inspections & corrections3
Other30
191
full-time
1
part-time
$975,997
payroll for March 2022
$11.7M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$61,300
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
45
sworn police officers
37
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Pooler had 7.3 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 13 of the 22 Georgia cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 7.2: Pooler had more than 54% 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

Chatham County School District

Pooler’s K–12 school district, shared with Bloomingdale, Garden City, Port Wentworth, Savannah, Thunderbolt and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Pooler →
$17,758
per pupil · GA $15,800
35,781
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $17,758 per pupil, $10,228 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 64%State 24%Federal 13%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Pooler’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Chatham County’s results141,109 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat58.6%82,758 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican40.6%57,336 votes

Others: 0.7% (1,015 votes).

Most votes in Chatham County: Kamala D Harris

Georgia: Trump 50.7%, Harris 48.5%

The county’s page

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

Chatham 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 Pooler

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Pooler.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: pooler-ga.us ↗
  2. 2
    Georgia HousePooler is split between 2 districts
    Ron StephensBill Hitchens
  3. 3
    Georgia SenateState senator
    Billy HickmanBen Watson
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Brian Kemp
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Earl L. "Buddy" Carter
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Georgia
    Jon OssoffRaphael G. Warnock
Find your state legislators by address ↗

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

Next door

How Pooler compares with the towns next door

Pooler spent $1,153 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $2,149. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Bloomingdale: no reported 2022 figuresSavannah: $2,149 per resident (2022)BloomingdaleSavannahPooler
Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Savannah$2,149$2,040
Bloomingdaleestimate$1,474
Pooler$1,153$2,866

Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).

Reach Pooler’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →
Official websitepooler-ga.us ↗

Questions about Pooler’s government

How much does Pooler spend per resident?

About $1,261 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,153 was more than 73% of 22 Georgia cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Pooler?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,866 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.89% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see pooler-ga.us.

Who runs Pooler’s government?

See pooler-ga.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Pooler yet.

How did Pooler vote in 2024?

Georgia counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Pooler alone. Chatham County, where 100% of Pooler lies, voted Harris 58.6%, Trump 40.6% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Pooler?

191 full-time and 1 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $975,997 (about $11.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Pooler in the state legislature?

Pooler is split among 2 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Georgia Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

When is the next public meeting in Pooler?

The next posted meeting is City Council Regular Meeting on Monday, November 2, at 6:00 pm in Pooler City Hall, 100 US Highway 80 SW, from the city’s own agenda portal.

Ask neighbors about Pooler’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 →