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City of Zion new signsPhoto: 22thecrobot · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Zion

How is Zion run?

Zion’s city government spent $27.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $1,169 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Zion didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.

Town website
Election Day

Today

General election in Illinois.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$27.3M
year to April 30, 2022 · Census estimate
Per resident, 2022
$1,169
Census estimate · not compared
Long-term debt
$40.3M
end of FY2022 · Census estimate
City staff, 2022
102
full-time · 26 part-time · March payroll $839,394
Typical tax bill
$6,120
3.33% of home value · IL 2.01%

What stands out about how Zion is run

Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.

Agendas posted online3 upcoming meetings posted, with agendas.A shared school districtShares Zion-Benton Township High School District 126 with 6+ other towns.Its own police and fire41 sworn officers and 24 full-time firefighters on the payroll.
★ What stands out · Meetings

3 upcoming meetings at town hall

From Zion’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.

Recent meetings

  • Oct27
    City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pm · 2828 Sheridan Road, CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALLCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗
  • Oct22
    Board of Fire and Police CommissionersThursday · 5:30 pm · 2101 Salem Blvd., Zion Police DepartmentBoard of Fire and Police Commissioners (one-time)Meeting page ↗
  • Oct14
    City CouncilWednesday · 5:00 pm · 2828 Sheridan Road, City Council Chambers, City HallCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗
  • Oct6
    City CouncilTuesday · 7:00 pm · City Hall, Council Chambers, 2828 Sheridan RoadOne Time EventMeeting page ↗
  • Sep24
    Special Event CommissionThursday · 5:00 pm · 2828 Sheridan Road, City Council Chambers, City HallSpecial Event Commission (one-time)Meeting page ↗
Go in person

Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.

Agenda portal ↗
Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,169 per resident a year, or $3.20 a day

Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: police, at 39%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 29%From the state 25%Utility sales 15%Other taxes & licenses 11%Fees & charges 11%Sales taxes 6%Interest, fines & other 3%From other local governments <1%From the federal government <1%
An estimate

Zion didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.

Not in the receipt.Building projects $602,000; interest on debt $4.1 million; payments to other governments $155,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $35.9 million.
Compared with similar places · Over the years

No comparison or trend for Zion yet

Every year of Zion’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the city reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.

How Town Hall compares budgets →
Property tax

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.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Wadsworth$9,233
Newport Township$8,377
Winthrop Harbor$7,419
Benton Township$6,914
Beach Park$6,445
Zion$6,120
Zion Township$6,120
Illinois$5,298
$6,120
typical bill a year
3.33%
effective rate
$183,800
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Zion’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’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Zion →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Zion

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

See cityofzion.com for Zion’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Zion yet.cityofzion.com ↗
Who works for Zion

One full-time city employee for every 229 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (23,321).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Police45 + 4 pt
Fire24 + 11 pt
Roads & transportation15
Administration & buildings6 + 8 pt
Water & other utilities6 + 1 pt
Other6 + 2 pt
102
full-time
26
part-time
$839,394
payroll for March 2022
$10.1M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$95,600
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
41
sworn police officers
24
full-time firefighters
Not compared.Staff are compared with the same group as the budget, and Zion’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

Zion-Benton Township High School District 126

Zion’s high school district, shared with Benton Township, Winthrop Harbor, Zion Township, Beach Park, Wadsworth and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Zion →
$22,286
per pupil · IL $21,567
2,573
students
$7.5 million
long-term debt

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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 41%State 53%Federal 6%

Illinois districts overall: 52% local, 38% state, 10% federal.

Also serving Zion

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.

Elections · 2024 general election

Zion’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Lake County’s results315,148 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat58.6%184,642 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican38.2%120,402 votes

Others: 3.2% (10,104 votes).

Most votes in Lake County: Kamala D Harris

Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%

The county’s page

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

Lake 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 Zion

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Zion.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: cityofzion.com ↗
  2. 2
    Illinois HouseState representatives
    Joyce Mason
  3. 3
    Illinois SenateState senator
    Mary Edly-Allen
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    J. B. Pritzker
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Bradley Scott Schneider
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Illinois
    Richard J. DurbinTammy Duckworth

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

Next door

How Zion compares with the towns next door

Zion’s own figures are Census estimates, so it isn’t placed among its neighbors. 5 of the 6 towns next door reported 2022 figures, from $30 to $455 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.

Zion Township: $73 per resident (2022)Benton Township: $30 per resident (2022)Beach Park: $261 per resident (2022)Wadsworth: $455 per resident (2022)Newport Township: $93 per resident (2022)Winthrop Harbor: no reported 2022 figuresZion TownshipBenton TownshipBeach ParkWadsworthNewport TownshipWinthrop HarborZion
Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Benton Township$30$6,914
Zion Township$73$6,120
Newport Township$93$8,377
Beach Park$261$6,445
Wadsworth$455$9,233
Winthrop Harborestimate$7,419
Zionestimate$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’s government

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

The Handbook →
Official websitecityofzion.com ↗

Questions about Zion’s government

How much does Zion spend per resident?

About $1,169 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Zion didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $35.9 million.

What is the property tax rate in Zion?

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’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 yet.

How did Zion vote in 2024?

Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Zion alone. Lake County, where 100% of Zion lies, voted Harris 58.6%, Trump 38.2% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Zion?

102 full-time and 26 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $839,394 (about $10.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Zion 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?

The next posted meeting is City Council on Wednesday, November 4, at 5:00 pm in 2828 Sheridan Road, City Council Chambers, City Hall, from the city’s own agenda portal.

Ask neighbors about Zion’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 (for Zion, the Bureau’s estimates); 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 →