Town Hall · Columbus

Columbus, MS town hall & government

Columbus spent $78.9 million in the year to September 30, 2023, about $3,385 per resident.

Where the money goes, where it comes from, property taxes, and how to reach Columbus's government.

Local leadership

Who runs Columbus

From public records (Open States and Wikidata), which can lag behind an election. If a name is out of date, tell us: when two neighbors agree, it's hidden until the records catch up.

Town budget

Where Columbus's money goes

Spent
$78.9 million
fiscal year to September 30, 2023
Per resident
$3,385
typical Mississippi cities: $1,975
Long-term debt
$47.9 million
$2,054 per resident
Water & other utilities
$42.6 million54%
Sewer & trash
$7.7 million10%
Roads & transportation
$6.5 million8%
Fire
$5.5 million7%
Police
$4.6 million6%
Administration & buildings
$3.7 million5%
Paid to other governments
$2.6 million3%
Interest on debt
$1.2 million2%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$891,0001%
Parks & libraries
$839,0001%
Other
$2.9 million4%

Where the money comes from

  • Utility sales 50%
  • From the state 22%
  • Property taxes 14%
  • Fees & charges 8%
  • Interest, fines & other 5%
  • Other taxes & licenses 1%
  • From other local governments <1%
  • From the federal government <1%
  • Sales taxes <1%
Town workforce

Who works for Columbus

Full-time staff
289
40 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$51,100
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
40
and 52 full-time firefighters
Water & other utilities
78 full-time9 part
Fire
60 full-time
Police
40 full-time19 part
Sewer & trash
32 full-time3 part
Roads & transportation
20 full-time
Administration & buildings
13 full-time6 part
Parks & libraries
13 full-time2 part
Courts, inspections & corrections
10 full-time
Health & welfare
5 full-time
Housing & development
0 full-time1 part
Other
18 full-time

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2023. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate.

Schools · school year 2023–24

Columbus Municipal School District

Columbus's K–12 school district. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$13,627
Mississippi: $12,392
Students
3,065
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$1.1 million
at year end

Where the district's money comes from Mississippi districts overall: 33% local, 45% state, 23% federal

  • Local 21%
  • State 28%
  • Federal 51%

Of the $13,627 per pupil, $6,592 goes to classroom instruction (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to support services such as buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren't in the per-pupil figure.

Also serving Columbus: Lowndes County School District ($11,573 per pupil).

Property tax

What homeowners in Columbus pay

Typical tax bill
$1,199
a year · Mississippi typical $1,215
Effective rate
0.95%
of home value · Mississippi 0.72%
Typical home value
$125,700
owner-occupied

The median yearly bill homeowners report, covering every local property tax on the home (town, schools, county). The effective rate is that bill divided by the median home value, so it's a rough guide, not the official tax rate.

Local

Contact Columbus's government

Town hall & decisions in Columbus →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Columbus

Columbus is represented in Congress by Senators Roger F. Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith and Representative Trent Kelly. Tate Reeves is governor.

All of Columbus's representatives, with contacts →

Budget: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Finance (every city and town government's revenue, spending and debt, grouped into plain categories). Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

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Columbus

Mississippi · MS
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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01