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Colon Public LibraryPhoto: rossograph · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Colon

How is Colon run?

Colon’s village government spent $1.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2022, about $1,280 per resident.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Michigan.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$1.5M
year to March 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,280
In 2022: $1,280, more than 65% of 291 similar cities
Long-term debt
$444,000
end of FY2022, reported
Village staff, 2022
13
full-time · 15 part-time · March payroll $44,767
Typical tax bill
$1,414
0.92% of home value · MI 1.25%

What stands out about how Colon is run

Read from the village’s budget and official records.

Runs its own water & sewer20% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Colon Community School District with 4 other towns.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $1,414 a year: 0.92% of the home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan.
★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,280 per resident a year, or $3.51 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 26%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 31%From the state 24%Fees & charges 23%Utility sales 11%Interest, fines & other 9%From other local governments 1%Other taxes & licenses 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $170,000; interest on debt $12,000; payments to other governments $79,000. With these, the whole budget was $1.7 million.
Compared with similar places

$1,280 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

Colon’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,280 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–$1,663. Colon spent more than 65% of them.

Middle half of the group, $748–$1,663Median $1,078Colon

Includes sewer and trash ($293,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
291

Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Colon itself left out).

Over the years

No trend yet

Colon reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,414 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.92% of the home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Michigan$2,904
Colon$1,414
$1,414
typical bill a year
0.92%
effective rate
$153,500
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Colon

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

Check Colon’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Colon yet.
Who works for Colon

One full-time village employee for every 89 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 (1,155).

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

Administration & buildings2 + 9 pt
Police3 + 3 pt
Sewer & trash3
Other5 + 3 pt
13
full-time
15
part-time
$44,767
payroll for March 2022
$537,204
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$33,400
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
3
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Colon had 11.3 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 233 of the 291 Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 4.4: Colon had more than 90% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

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

Colon Community School District

Colon’s K–12 school district, shared with Colon Township, Leonidas Township, Matteson Township, Sherwood Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Colon →
$14,808
per pupil · MI $16,528
553
students
$2.8 million
long-term debt

Of the $14,808 per pupil, $8,731 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 34%State 52%Federal 14%

Michigan districts overall: 34% local, 57% state, 9% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Colon’s votes are counted by county

Michigan reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Colon alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are St. Joseph County’s results.

President · St. Joseph County’s results29,307 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican66.2%19,403 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat32.3%9,452 votes

Others: 1.5% (452 votes).

Most votes in St. Joseph County: Donald J Trump

Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%

The county’s page

100% of Colon lies in St. Joseph County. Every 2024 race in St. Joseph County is on the county’s page.

St. Joseph 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 Colon

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Colon.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Michigan HouseState representatives
    Steve Carra
  3. 3
    Michigan SenateState senator
    Jonathan Lindsey
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Gretchen Whitmer
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Tim Walberg
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Michigan
    Gary C. PetersElissa Slotkin

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

Reach Colon’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Colon’s government

How much does Colon spend per resident?

About $1,280 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,280 was more than 65% of 291 Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Colon?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,414 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.92% 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 Colon’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Colon yet.

How did Colon vote in 2024?

Michigan counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Colon alone. St. Joseph County, where 100% of Colon lies, voted Trump 66.2%, Harris 32.3% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Colon?

13 full-time and 15 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $44,767 (about $537,204 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Colon in the state legislature?

State Senate District 17 (Jonathan Lindsey) and State House District 36 (Steve Carra). The House district also covers 37 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Colon’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; 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 →