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:: Columbus-Muscogee County ::

Government

Quick Facts
2004 Population
182,850
2006 Job Tax Credit Tier
2
2005 Tax Millage Rate
n/a
Legal Organ
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
Form of Government
Manager
Service Delivery Region
Region 8
Congressional and Legislative Districts





  • Columbus-Muscogee County collected $207.5 million in total revenues in 2000. In 2004, the county received $220.5 million, an increase of 6.3%. Total revenue in 2004 equaled $1,210 per capita. The statewide revenue per capita for this same year was $736.
  • From 2000 to 2004, own source revenues for Columbus-Muscogee County rose from $186.9 million to $192.1 million, an increase of 2.8%. Own source revenues include revenues from property taxes, sales taxes, and excise and special use taxes. Per capita own source revenues amounted to $1,054 in 2004. This compares to a statewide per capita amount of $631.
  • The county collected an average of $354 per capita in property taxes during the past five years. This amount was greater 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 36.0% of the county's own source revenue during the period of 2000 to 2004.
  • General operating expenditures for Columbus-Muscogee County in 2000 equaled $145.7 million, or $782 per capita. By 2004, general operating expenditures increased by 7.1% to $156.1 million, or $838 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, Columbus-Muscogee County spent $66.6 million or 35.5% of total county spending on public safety which includes law enforcement, fire services and jails. Expenditures for administration totaled $19.4 million, amounting to 10.3% of total expenditures. The county expended $20.3 million or 10.8% of total expenditures on health and human services.
  • From 2000 to 2004, Columbus-Muscogee County had an average of $126.6 million in long-term debt outstanding, resulting in an average per capita debt of $683. This amount was less than the $718 per capita average of counties with similarly-sized populations.
      

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