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Government

Quick Facts
2004 Population
100,589
2006 Job Tax Credit Tier
4
2005 Tax Millage Rate
n/a
Legal Organ
The Columbia News-Times
Form of Government
Commission-Administrator
Service Delivery Region
Region 7
Congressional and Legislative Districts





  • Columbia County collected $51.9 million in total revenues in 2000. In 2004, the county received $60.9 million, an increase of 17.2%. Total revenue in 2004 equaled $626 per capita. The statewide revenue per capita for this same year was $736.
  • From 2000 to 2004, own source revenues for Columbia County rose from $46.7 million to $57.6 million, an increase of 23.3%. Own source revenues include revenues from property taxes, sales taxes, and excise and special use taxes. Per capita own source revenues amounted to $593 in 2004. This compares to a statewide per capita amount of $631.
  • The county collected an average of $170 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 32.0% of the county's own source revenue during the period of 2000 to 2004.
  • General operating expenditures for Columbia County in 2000 equaled $29.1 million, or $326 per capita. By 2004, general operating expenditures increased by 53.1% to $44.5 million, or $499 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, Columbia County spent $17.1 million or 30.1% of total county spending on public safety which includes law enforcement, fire services and jails. Expenditures for administration totaled $9.7 million, amounting to 17.0% of total expenditures. The county expended $2.5 million or 4.4% of total expenditures on health and human services.
  • From 2000 to 2004, Columbia County had an average of $99.4 million in long-term debt outstanding, resulting in an average per capita debt of $1,047. This amount was greater than the $718 per capita average of counties with similarly-sized populations.
      

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