Photo: Cushing and Benedict, Alma MI · Public domainHow is Alma run?
Alma’s city government spent $13 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,471 per resident. Water and other utilities ($870,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Alma is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,471 per resident a year, or $4.03 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 18%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,471 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Alma’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,471 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 120 Michigan cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,684, and the middle half spent $1,295–$2,384. Alma spent less than 58% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.4 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 →
Michigan cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Alma itself left out).
No trend yet
Alma reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,991 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.72% of the home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Alma’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 Alma’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Alma →
Who’s in charge in Alma
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Alma’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on myalma.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 114 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 (8,807).
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.
Alma Public Schools
Alma’s K–12 school district, shared with Seville Township, Sumner Township, Arcada Township, Pine River Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,056 per pupil, $8,998 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.
Michigan districts overall: 34% local, 57% state, 9% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Alma voted in 2024
Official results for Alma’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican51.6%2,018 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat46.8%1,829 votesOthers: 1.7% (65 votes).
Most votes in Alma: Donald J Trump
Gratiot County: Trump 65.0%, Harris 33.7% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Alma’s 7,440 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Mike RogersRepublican49.5%
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat46.2%Most votes in Alma: Mike Rogers
Gratiot County: Rogers 62.9%, Slotkin 34.1% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: John R Moolenaar
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Alma, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alma | 51.6% | 46.8% | 1.7% | 3,912 |
| Gratiot County | 65.0% | 33.7% | 1.4% | 19,848 |
| Michigan | 49.7% | 48.3% | 2.0% | 5,664,186 |
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; Elissa Slotkin: U.S. House portrait (congress-legislators project); Mike Rogers: U.S. House portrait (congress-legislators project). 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 Alma.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: myalma.org ↗
- 2Michigan HouseState representatives
- 3Michigan SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Michigan
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Alma compares with the towns next door
Alma spent $1,471 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Arcada Township | $255 | $2,568 |
| Pine River Township | $326 | $1,744 |
| St. Louis | $1,687 | $1,642 |
| Alma | $1,471 | $1,991 |
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 Alma’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Alma’s government
How much does Alma spend per resident?
About $1,471 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,471 was less than 58% of 120 Michigan cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Alma?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,991 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.72% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see myalma.org.
Who runs Alma’s government?
See myalma.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Alma yet.
How did Alma vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 51.6%, Kamala D Harris 46.8% (3,912 votes, official results). Gratiot County: Trump 65.0%, Harris 33.7%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Alma?
77 full-time and 53 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $448,184 (about $5.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Alma in the state legislature?
State Senate District 34 (Roger Hauck) and State House District 92 (Jerry Neyer). The House district also covers 28 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Alma’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 →