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Calypso Cove Aquatic FacilityPhoto: City of Margate · CC BY 4.0
Town Hall · Margate

Margate spent less per resident in 2022 than 71% of similar cities

Margate’s city government spent $93.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, about $1,613 per resident.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Florida.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2024
$93.9M
year to September 30, 2024
Per resident, 2024
$1,613
In 2022: $1,469, less than 71% of 35 similar cities
Long-term debt
$28.9M
end of FY2024, reported
City staff, 2025
333
full-time · 15 part-time · March payroll $2.7M
Typical tax bill
$2,672
0.85% of home value · FL 0.76%

What stands out about how Margate is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$1,469 per resident in 2022: less than 71% of them

Margate’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,469 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 35 Florida cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,679, and the middle half spent $1,296–$2,315. Margate spent less than 71% of them.

Middle half of the group, $1,296–$2,315Median $1,679Margate

Includes sewer and trash ($14.5 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
35

Florida cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Margate itself left out).

Your share of the 2024 budget

About $1,613 per resident a year, or $4.42 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 26%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 29%Utility sales 18%Interest, fines & other 16%From the federal government 8%Fees & charges 8%Other taxes & licenses 7%Sales taxes 6%From the state 4%From other local governments 3%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $13.9 million; interest on debt $1.2 million. With these, the whole budget was $109 million.
Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 9% since 2022

Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Margate reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$86.3 million
2024$93.9 million

Per resident: 2022: $1,469 · 2024: $1,613.

City staff
333

full-time in March 2025, down from 462 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.

Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,672 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.85% of the home’s value, vs 0.76% across Florida.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Coral Springs$5,545
Coconut Creek$3,216
Florida$2,730
Margate$2,672
North Lauderdale$2,355
$2,672
typical bill a year
0.85%
effective rate
$316,200
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Margate’s rate.

Can I afford it? →

The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.

Tax bills are one input to Margate’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Margate →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Margate

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See margatefl.com for Margate’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Margate yet.margatefl.com ↗
Agendas

Margate’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on margatefl.com ↗.

Who works for Margate

One full-time city employee for every 175 residents

On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (58,209).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025

Police91
Fire83
Water & other utilities43
Administration & buildings33
Parks & libraries21 + 15 pt
Sewer & trash8
Housing & development5
Roads & transportation3
Courts, inspections & corrections2
Other44
333
full-time
15
part-time
$2.7M
payroll for March 2025
$32.9M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$97,500
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
79
sworn police officers
81
full-time firefighters
Not compared.Staff are compared with the same group as the budget, and Margate’s 2022 budget was a Census estimate, so there is no group to compare with.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Broward County School District

Margate’s K–12 school district, shared with Coconut Creek, Cooper City, Coral Springs, Dania Beach, Davie and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Margate →
$13,412
per pupil · FL $13,006
251,408
students
$2.2 billion
long-term debt

Of the $13,412 per pupil, $8,250 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 57%State 28%Federal 15%

Florida districts overall: 55% local, 29% state, 15% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Margate’s votes are counted by county

Florida reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Margate alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Broward County’s results.

President · Broward County’s results877,262 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat57.8%507,328 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican40.9%358,952 votes

Others: 1.3% (10,982 votes).

Most votes in Broward County: Kamala D Harris

Florida: Trump 56.1%, Harris 43.0%

The county’s page

100% of Margate lies in Broward County. Every 2024 race in Broward County is on the county’s page.

Broward County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.

Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.

Who represents Margate

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Margate.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    Florida HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Florida SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseSplit between districts
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Florida

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Margate compares with the towns next door

Margate spent $1,469 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $959 to $1,599. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
North Lauderdale$959$2,355
Coconut Creek$1,359$3,216
Coral Springs$1,599$5,545
Margate$1,469$2,672

Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).

Reach Margate’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Margate’s government

How much does Margate spend per resident?

About $1,613 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,469 was less than 71% of 35 Florida cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Margate?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,672 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.85% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.76% across Florida. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see margatefl.com.

Who runs Margate’s government?

See margatefl.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Margate yet.

How did Margate vote in 2024?

Florida counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Margate alone. Broward County, where 100% of Margate lies, voted Harris 57.8%, Trump 40.9% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Margate?

333 full-time and 15 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $2.7M (about $32.9M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Margate in the state legislature?

State Senate District 30 (Tina Polsky) and State House District 95 (Christine Hunschofsky). The House district also covers three neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Margate’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →