County government · Dawson County, GA

Dawson County's money: where it comes from and where it goes

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2021), Dawson County took in $54.6 million and spent $42.7 million.

Latest recorded year: ended December 31, 2021Comes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

County taxes79%Fees for services (garbage collection, parks and recreation)12%Federal tax money3.8%State tax money3.3%Fines and other2.1%Local tax money0.5%

What stands out

41%

of Dawson County's money comes from sales tax.A typical U.S. county of under 50,000 people gets 1.6%.

County taxes79%

Sales tax
41%$22.3 million
Property tax
29%$16.1 million
Other taxes
8.3%$4.5 million
What's in other taxesInsurance premium taxes; other licenses and 6 more
  • Insurance premium taxes$1.5 million
  • Other licenses$1.2 million
  • Other selective sales taxes$703 thousand
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$599 thousand
  • Occupation and business licenses$289 thousand
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$155 thousand
  • Public utility taxes$27 thousand
  • Other taxes not classified elsewhere$26 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services12%

Fees for services
12%$6.4 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges; garbage collection and 1 more
  • Other service charges$5.5 million
  • Garbage collection$666 thousand
  • Parks and recreation$246 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money3.8%

Grants from Washington, paid for by the federal taxes residents also pay.

From the federal government
3.8%$2.1 million

State tax money3.3%

Money the state passes on, paid for by the state taxes residents also pay.

From the state
3.3%$1.8 million

Local tax money0.5%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
0.5%$267 thousand

Fines and other2.1%

Fines
1.1%$576 thousand
Interest, rents and other
1.0%$546 thousand

Where it goes

Police, fire, courts and jails42%Running the government and other costs23%Roads, transit and parking16%Health and hospitals7.4%Sent to other local governments4.8%All other spending6.8%

What stands out

42%

of Dawson County's spending goes to police, fire, courts and jails.A typical U.S. county of under 50,000 people spends 20%.

Spending by category100%

Police, fire, courts and jails
42%$18.0 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; courts and legal services and 2 more
  • Police$7.9 million
  • Courts and legal services$4.2 million
  • Fire protection$3.0 million
  • Prisons and jails$2.9 million
Running the government and other costs
23%$9.8 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; finance, tax collection and budgeting and 2 more
  • Other and not broken out$4.1 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$2.6 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$2.0 million
  • Government buildings$1.0 million
Roads, transit and parking
16%$6.8 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$6.8 million
Health and hospitals
7.4%$3.1 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$3.1 million
Sent to other local governments
4.8%$2.1 million
What's in sent to other local governmentsSent to local governments: other and not broken out
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$2.1 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
4.7%$2.0 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$1.6 million
  • Libraries$449 thousand
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
1.5%$656 thousand
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste
  • Garbage and solid waste$656 thousand
Environment and natural resources
0.2%$91 thousand
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$91 thousand
Interest on debt
0.2%$69 thousand
Social services
0.1%$50 thousand
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$50 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Dawson County. U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments, Finance, individual unit file, fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. The Census record for this government is from the 2022 survey, the newest on file.

What this covers. The money of Dawson County itself. Other governments that serve the same area (the city, county, school district and state) are separate and not included. Borrowing, transfers between a government's own funds, and pension trust funds are not counted as revenue.