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Dr. James A Stewart House, Portal, GA, USPhoto: Jud McCranie · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Portal

How is Portal run?

Portal’s town government spent $551,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $779 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Portal didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$551,000
year to June 30, 2022 · Census estimate
Per resident, 2022
$779
Census estimate · not compared
Long-term debt
$1.5M
end of FY2022 · Census estimate
Town staff, 2022
15
full-time · 2 part-time · March payroll $51,082 · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$727
0.86% of home value · GA 0.77%

What stands out about how Portal is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $779 per resident a year, or $2.13 a day

Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 39%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 35%Sales taxes 19%Property taxes 16%Interest, fines & other 16%Utility sales 12%Other taxes & licenses 2%
An estimate

Portal 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.Building projects $188,000; interest on debt $57,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $967,000.
Compared with similar places · Over the years

No comparison or trend for Portal yet

Every year of Portal’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the town 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 $727 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.86% of the home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Georgia$2,341
Portal$727
$727
typical bill a year
0.86%
effective rate
$85,000
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Portal

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

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

One full-time town employee for every 47 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 (707).

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

Administration & buildings7 + 1 pt
Courts, inspections & corrections3
Police2 + 1 pt
Roads & transportation2
Sewer & trash1
15
full-time
2
part-time
$51,082
payroll for March 2022
$612,984
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$38,200
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
2
sworn police officers
Estimates.Portal 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

Bulloch County School District

Portal’s K–12 school district, shared with Brooklet, Register, Statesboro. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Portal →
$15,232
per pupil · GA $15,800
11,068
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $15,232 per pupil, $9,274 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 43%State 48%Federal 9%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Portal’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Bulloch County’s results32,657 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican64.3%20,985 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat35.3%11,514 votes

Others: 0.5% (158 votes).

Most votes in Bulloch County: Donald J Trump

Georgia: Trump 50.7%, Harris 48.5%

The county’s page

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

Bulloch 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 Portal

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Portal.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    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 Portal’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Portal’s government

How much does Portal spend per resident?

About $779 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Portal didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $967,000.

What is the property tax rate in Portal?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $727 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.86% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.

Who runs Portal’s government?

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

How did Portal vote in 2024?

Georgia counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Portal alone. Bulloch County, where 100% of Portal lies, voted Trump 64.3%, Harris 35.3% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Portal?

15 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $51,082 (about $612,984 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Portal in the state legislature?

State Senate District 4 (Billy Hickman) and State House District 158 (Butch Parrish). The House district also covers 13 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Portal’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 Portal, 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 →