Photo: Forevercry · CC BY-SA 4.0Bridgman spent more per resident in 2022 than 80% of similar cities
Bridgman’s city government spent $4.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,890 per resident.
What stands out about how Bridgman is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Bridgman
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
About $1,890 per resident a year, or $5.18 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,890 per resident in 2022: more than 80% of them
Bridgman’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,890 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. Bridgman spent more than 80% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.3 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bridgman itself left out).
No trend yet
Bridgman reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,870 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.20% 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 Bridgman’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 Bridgman’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bridgman →
One full-time city employee for every 138 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 (2,200).
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.
Bridgman Public Schools
Bridgman’s K–12 school district, shared with Lake Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $20,489 per pupil, $12,264 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 Bridgman voted in 2024
Official results for Bridgman’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican54.7%742 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat44.0%597 votesOthers: 1.3% (17 votes).
Most votes in Bridgman: Donald J Trump
Berrien County: Trump 53.2%, Harris 45.4% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Bridgman’s 1,669 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Mike RogersRepublican55.4%
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat41.7%Most votes in Bridgman: Mike Rogers
Berrien County: Rogers 53.9%, Slotkin 43.3% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Tim Walberg
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Bridgman, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgman | 54.7% | 44.0% | 1.3% | 1,356 |
| Berrien County | 53.2% | 45.4% | 1.4% | 84,488 |
| 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 Bridgman.
- 1Your cityMayorJan Trapanias listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 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 Bridgman compares with the towns next door
Bridgman spent $1,890 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Township | $1,733 | $2,924 |
| Bridgman | $1,890 | $2,870 |
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 Bridgman’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Bridgman’s government
How much does Bridgman spend per resident?
About $1,890 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 $1,890 was more than 80% of 291 Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bridgman?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,870 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.20% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who is the mayor of Bridgman?
Jan Trapani, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026).
How did Bridgman vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 54.7%, Kamala D Harris 44.0% (1,356 votes, official results). Berrien County: Trump 53.2%, Harris 45.4%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Bridgman?
16 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $88,371 (about $1.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bridgman in the state legislature?
State Senate District 17 (Jonathan Lindsey) and State House District 38 (Joey Andrews). The House district also covers 22 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bridgman’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 →