Photo: 22thecrobot · CC BY-SA 4.0How is Zion Township run?
Zion Township’s town government spent $1.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $73 per resident.
City Council
5:00 pm · 2828 Sheridan Road, City Council Chambers, City Hall
All meetings →What stands out about how Zion Township is run
Read from the town’s budget, meetings and official records.
2 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Zion Township’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Dec9City CouncilWednesday · 5:00 pm · 2828 Sheridan Road, City Council Chambers, City HallCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Jan13City CouncilWednesday · 5:00 pm · 2828 Sheridan Road, City Council Chambers, City HallCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Nov4City CouncilWednesday · 5:00 pm · 2828 Sheridan Road, City Council Chambers, City HallCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Oct27City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pm · 2828 Sheridan Road, CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALLCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Oct22Board of Fire and Police CommissionersThursday · 5:30 pm · 2101 Salem Blvd., Zion Police DepartmentBoard of Fire and Police Commissioners (one-time)Meeting page ↗
- Oct14City CouncilWednesday · 5:00 pm · 2828 Sheridan Road, City Council Chambers, City HallCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Oct6City CouncilTuesday · 7:00 pm · City Hall, Council Chambers, 2828 Sheridan RoadOne Time EventMeeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $73 per resident a year, or $0.20 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: health & welfare, at 61%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$73 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
Zion Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($73 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 56 Illinois towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $60, and the middle half spent $45–$84. Zion Township spent more than 59% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Illinois towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Zion Township itself left out).
No trend yet
Zion Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $6,120 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 3.33% of the home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Zion Township’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 Zion Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Zion Township →
Who’s in charge in Zion Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 3,332 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (23,321).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Zion-Benton Township High School District 126
Zion Township’s high school district, shared with Benton Township, Winthrop Harbor, Zion, Beach Park, Wadsworth and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $22,286 per pupil, $11,092 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.
Illinois districts overall: 52% local, 38% state, 10% federal.
Zion Elementary School District 6 · $24,770 per pupil
Beach Park Community Consolidated School District 3 · $20,690 per pupil
Winthrop Harbor School District 1 · $18,592 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Zion Township voted in 2024
Official results for Zion Township’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat64.8%4,737 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican32.8%2,395 votesOthers: 2.4% (176 votes).
Most votes in Zion Township: Kamala D Harris
Lake County: Harris 58.6%, Trump 38.2% · Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
of Zion Township’s 15,221 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Illinois: 62%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in the district: Brad Schneider
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Zion Township, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zion Township | 64.8% | 32.8% | 2.4% | 7,308 |
| Lake County | 58.6% | 38.2% | 3.2% | 315,148 |
| Illinois | 54.4% | 43.5% | 2.2% | 5,633,310 |
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.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Zion Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: cityofzion.com ↗
- 2Illinois HouseState representatives
- 3Illinois SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Illinois
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Zion Township compares with the towns next door
Zion Township spent $73 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $30 to $455. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Benton Township | $30 | $6,914 |
| Newport Township | $93 | $8,377 |
| Beach Park | $261 | $6,445 |
| Wadsworth | $455 | $9,233 |
| Zion | estimate | $6,120 |
| Winthrop Harbor | estimate | $7,419 |
| Zion Township | $73 | $6,120 |
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 Zion Township’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Zion Township’s government
How much does Zion Township spend per resident?
About $73 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $73 was more than 59% of 56 Illinois towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Zion Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,120 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 3.33% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofzion.com.
Who runs Zion Township’s government?
See cityofzion.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Zion Township yet.
How did Zion Township vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 64.8%, Donald J Trump 32.8% (7,308 votes, official results). Lake County: Harris 58.6%, Trump 38.2%. Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%.
How many people work for Zion Township?
7 full-time and 0 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $42,399 (about $508,788 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Zion Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 31 (Mary Edly-Allen) and State House District 61 (Joyce Mason). The House district also covers 18 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Zion Township?
The next posted meeting is City Council on Wednesday, December 9, at 5:00 pm in 2828 Sheridan Road, City Council Chambers, City Hall, from the town’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Zion Township’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
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 →