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Sylvester City HallPhoto: Michael Rivera · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Sylvester

Sylvester spent more per resident in 2022 than 87% of similar cities

Sylvester’s city government spent $9.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,718 per resident. Water and other utilities ($10.1 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Today

General election in Georgia.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$9.8M
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,718
In 2022: $1,718, more than 87% of 105 similar cities
Long-term debt
$10.4M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
78
full-time · 4 part-time · March payroll $321,847
Typical tax bill
$1,337
1.15% of home value · GA 0.77%

What stands out about how Sylvester is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,718 per resident, more than 87% of 105 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer58% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Worth County School District with 3 other towns.Its own police and fire16 sworn officers and 15 full-time firefighters on the payroll.
Compared with similar places

$1,718 per resident in 2022: more than 87% of them

Sylvester’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,718 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 $1,116, and the middle half spent $820–$1,437. Sylvester spent more than 87% of them.

Middle half of the group, $820–$1,437Median $1,116Sylvester

Includes sewer and trash ($1.4 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
105

Georgia cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Sylvester itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,718 per resident a year, or $4.71 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 21%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 72%Fees & charges 14%Property taxes 6%From other local governments 4%Interest, fines & other 2%Sales taxes 1%Other taxes & licenses 1%From the state 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $94,000; interest on debt $161,000; payments to other governments $151,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $20.4 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,337 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.15% of the home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Georgia$2,341
Sylvester$1,337
$1,337
typical bill a year
1.15%
effective rate
$115,900
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Sylvester

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

See cityofsylvester.com for Sylvester’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Sylvester yet.cityofsylvester.com ↗
Agendas

Sylvester’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofsylvester.com ↗.

Who works for Sylvester

One full-time city employee for every 73 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 (5,690).

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

Parks & libraries20
Fire15 + 4 pt
Police16
Roads & transportation13
Administration & buildings8
Courts, inspections & corrections6
78
full-time
4
part-time
$321,847
payroll for March 2022
$3.9M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$48,900
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
16
sworn police officers
15
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Sylvester had 13.7 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 89 of the 105 Georgia cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 9.5: Sylvester had more than 74% 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

Worth County School District

Sylvester’s K–12 school district, shared with Poulan, Sumner, Warwick. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Sylvester →
$12,985
per pupil · GA $15,800
3,057
students
$16.9 million
long-term debt

Of the $12,985 per pupil, $7,353 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 30%State 51%Federal 20%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Sylvester’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Worth County’s results9,309 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican75.1%6,991 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat24.7%2,300 votes

Others: 0.2% (18 votes).

Most votes in Worth County: Donald J Trump

Georgia: Trump 50.7%, Harris 48.5%

The county’s page

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

Worth 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 Sylvester

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Sylvester.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: cityofsylvester.com ↗
  2. 2
    Georgia HouseState representatives
    Bill Yearta
  3. 3
    Georgia SenateState senator
    Carden Summers
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Brian Kemp
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Austin Scott
  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 Sylvester’s government

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

The Handbook →
Official websitecityofsylvester.com ↗

Questions about Sylvester’s government

How much does Sylvester spend per resident?

About $1,718 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 $1,718 was more than 87% of 105 Georgia cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Sylvester?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,337 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.15% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofsylvester.com.

Who runs Sylvester’s government?

See cityofsylvester.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Sylvester yet.

How did Sylvester vote in 2024?

Georgia counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Sylvester alone. Worth County, where 100% of Sylvester lies, voted Trump 75.1%, Harris 24.7% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Sylvester?

78 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $321,847 (about $3.9M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Sylvester in the state legislature?

State Senate District 13 (Carden Summers) and State House District 152 (Bill Yearta). The House district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Sylvester’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 →