Alpha spent more per resident in 2022 than 79% of similar cities
Alpha’s village government spent $252,000 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $1,867 per resident.
What stands out about how Alpha is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$1,867 per resident in 2022: more than 79% of them
Alpha’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,867 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 291 Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,078, and the middle half spent $748–$1,622. Alpha spent more than 79% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($170,000), 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Alpha itself left out).
About $1,867 per resident a year, or $5.12 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 67%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Alpha reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $765 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.24% 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 Alpha’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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Alpha’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Alpha →
Who’s in charge in Alpha
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Forest Park School District
Alpha’s K–12 school district, shared with Crystal Falls, Crystal Falls Township, Hematite Township, Mansfield Township, Mastodon Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,185 per pupil, $9,119 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.
Alpha’s votes are counted by county
Michigan reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Alpha alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Iron County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican64.1%4,501 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat34.7%2,441 votesOthers: 1.2% (85 votes).
Most votes in Iron County: Donald J Trump
Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
100% of Alpha lies in Iron County. Every 2024 race in Iron County is on the county’s page.
Iron County’s 2024 results →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 Alpha.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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.
Reach Alpha’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Alpha’s government
How much does Alpha spend per resident?
About $1,867 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,867 was more than 79% of 291 Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Alpha?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $765 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.24% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the village’s assessor.
Who runs Alpha’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Alpha yet.
How did Alpha vote in 2024?
Michigan counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Alpha alone. Iron County, where 100% of Alpha lies, voted Trump 64.1%, Harris 34.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Alpha?
0 full-time and 10 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $8,093 (about $97,116 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Alpha in the state legislature?
State Senate District 38 (Ed McBroom) and State House District 110 (Greg Markkanen). The House district also covers 63 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Alpha’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 →