Town Hall · Petal

Petal, MS town hall & government

Petal spent $17.9 million in the year to September 30, 2024, about $1,597 per resident.

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

Town budget

Where Petal's money goes

Spent
$17.9 million
fiscal year to September 30, 2024
Per resident
$1,597
typical Mississippi cities: $2,292
Long-term debt
$9.2 million
$818 per resident
Sewer & trash
$4 million22%
Roads & transportation
$3 million17%
Fire
$2.8 million16%
Police
$2.7 million15%
Parks & libraries
$1.9 million11%
Water & other utilities
$1.7 million9%
Administration & buildings
$1 million6%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$553,0003%
Interest on debt
$245,0001%

Where the money comes from

  • From the state 40%
  • Property taxes 28%
  • Utility sales 14%
  • Fees & charges 13%
  • Sales taxes 3%
  • Interest, fines & other 2%
Town workforce

Who works for Petal

Full-time staff
99
10 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$42,900
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
26
and 38 full-time firefighters
Fire
38 full-time
Police
30 full-time5 part
Administration & buildings
15 full-time
Parks & libraries
8 full-time2 part
Courts, inspections & corrections
5 full-time2 part
Health & welfare
2 full-time
Other
1 full-time1 part

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2024. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate.

Schools · school year 2023–24

Petal School District

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

Spending per pupil
$11,074
Mississippi: $12,392
Students
4,400
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$40.9 million
at year end

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

  • Local 29%
  • State 56%
  • Federal 15%

Of the $11,074 per pupil, $6,237 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.

Property tax

What homeowners in Petal pay

Typical tax bill
$1,502
a year · Mississippi typical $1,215
Effective rate
0.86%
of home value · Mississippi 0.72%
Typical home value
$174,900
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 Petal's government

🏛️ Official websitecityofpetal.com ↗

Town hall & decisions in Petal →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Petal

Petal is represented in Congress by Senators Roger F. Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith and Representative Mike Ezell. Tate Reeves is governor.

All of Petal'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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Petal

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