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Bolivar Court Square Historic DistrictBolivar Court Square Historic District · Photo: RealElectrical · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Bolivar

How is Bolivar run?

Bolivar’s city government spent $7.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,431 per resident. Water and other utilities ($19.7 million) are counted separately.

Day-to-day spending, 2024
$7.4M
year to June 30, 2024
Per resident, 2024
$1,431
2022 was an estimate · not compared
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of FY2024, reported
City staff, 2022
82
full-time · 19 part-time · March payroll $312,161 · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$771
0.51% of home value · TN 0.50%

What stands out about how Bolivar is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Runs its own water & sewer84% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2024).A shared school districtShares Hardeman County School District with 6+ other towns.Its own police and fire23 sworn officers and 11 full-time firefighters on the payroll.Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $771 a year: 0.51% of the home’s value, vs 0.50% across Tennessee.
★ What stands out · Your share of the 2024 budget

About $1,431 per resident a year, or $3.92 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 43%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 40%Sales taxes 19%From other local governments 17%Fees & charges 15%Property taxes 7%Interest, fines & other 2%From the federal government <1%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $6,000; interest on debt $60,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $27.2 million.
Compared with similar places · Over the years

No comparison or trend for Bolivar yet

The fair comparison uses 2022, the last year the Census Bureau counted every government (later years are a sample), and Bolivar’s 2022 figures are a Census estimate (it reported none of its 2022 dollars). It reported 2024 only (2022 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet either. The next full count is 2027.

How Town Hall compares budgets →
Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $771 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.51% of the home’s value, vs 0.50% across Tennessee.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Tennessee$1,442
Bolivar$771
$771
typical bill a year
0.51%
effective rate
$150,200
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Bolivar

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 63 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 2024 finance file (5,194).

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

Police25
Water & other utilities15
Fire12 + 1 pt
Parks & libraries6 + 12 pt
Roads & transportation10
Administration & buildings7 + 1 pt
Sewer & trash6 + 2 pt
Health & welfare0 + 1 pt
Other1 + 2 pt
82
full-time
19
part-time
$312,161
payroll for March 2022
$3.7M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$43,000
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
23
sworn police officers
11
full-time firefighters
Estimates.Bolivar 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

Hardeman County School District

Bolivar’s K–12 school district, shared with Hickory Valley, Hornsby, Middleton, Saulsbury, Toone and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Bolivar →
$12,725
per pupil · TN $13,059
3,207
students
$780,000
long-term debt

Of the $12,725 per pupil, $7,266 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 24%State 53%Federal 23%

Tennessee districts overall: 40% local, 44% state, 16% federal.

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Bolivar’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Hardeman County’s results9,399 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican61.6%5,793 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat37.5%3,527 votes

Others: 0.8% (79 votes).

Most votes in Hardeman County: Donald J Trump

Tennessee: Trump 64.2%, Harris 34.5%

The county’s page

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

Hardeman 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 Bolivar

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Bolivar.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Tennessee HouseState representatives
    Johnny Shaw
  3. 3
    Tennessee SenateState senator
    Page Walley
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Bill Lee
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    David Kustoff
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Tennessee
    Marsha BlackburnBill Hagerty

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

Reach Bolivar’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Bolivar’s government

How much does Bolivar spend per resident?

About $1,431 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau.

What is the property tax rate in Bolivar?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $771 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.51% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.50% across Tennessee. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.

Who runs Bolivar’s government?

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

How did Bolivar vote in 2024?

Tennessee counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bolivar alone. Hardeman County, where 100% of Bolivar lies, voted Trump 61.6%, Harris 37.5% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Bolivar?

82 full-time and 19 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $312,161 (about $3.7M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Bolivar in the state legislature?

State Senate District 26 (Page Walley) and State House District 80 (Johnny Shaw). The House district also covers 11 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Bolivar’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 →