County Snapshots Home

:: Clayton County ::

Government

Quick Facts
2004 Population
264,951
2006 Job Tax Credit Tier
2
2005 Tax Millage Rate
26.95
Legal Organ
Clayton News Daily
Form of Government
Traditional Commission
Service Delivery Region
Region 3
Congressional and Legislative Districts





  • Clayton County collected $186.4 million in total revenues in 2000. In 2004, the county received $187.7 million, an increase of 0.7%. Total revenue in 2004 equaled $723 per capita. The statewide revenue per capita for this same year was $736.
  • From 2000 to 2004, own source revenues for Clayton County declined from $170.3 million to $166.1 million, a decrease of 2.5%. Own source revenues include revenues from property taxes, sales taxes, and excise and special use taxes. Per capita own source revenues amounted to $639 in 2004. This compares to a statewide per capita amount of $631.
  • The county collected an average of $197 per capita in property taxes during the past five years. This amount was less than the average of $333 per capita collected by counties with similarly-sized populations. For the same period, the average per capita amount of county property tax collected in Georgia was $288. On average, property taxes accounted for 33.0% of the county's own source revenue during the period of 2000 to 2004.
  • General operating expenditures for Clayton County in 2000 equaled $118.8 million, or $502 per capita. By 2004, general operating expenditures increased by 32.3% to $157.2 million, or $665 per capita. General operating expenditures per capita for counties with similarly-sized populations was $692 in 2004. The statewide average was $626 per capita during the same period.
  • Historically, the top three expenditure categories for counties are public safety, administration, and health and human services. In 2004, Clayton County spent $63.9 million or 35.4% of total county spending on public safety which includes law enforcement, fire services and jails. Expenditures for administration totaled $15.8 million, amounting to 8.8% of total expenditures. The county expended $14.9 million or 8.3% of total expenditures on health and human services.
  • From 2000 to 2004, Clayton County had an average of $57.4 million in long-term debt outstanding, resulting in an average per capita debt of $227. This amount was less than the $718 per capita average of counties with similarly-sized populations.
      

Return to top of page