Photo: Rochelle Briggeman · CC BY-SA 3.0Elmwood Township spent more per resident in 2022 than 93% of similar towns
Elmwood Township’s town government spent $3 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $673 per resident.
What stands out about how Elmwood Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$673 per resident in 2022: more than 93% of them
Elmwood Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($673 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 364 Michigan towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $252, and the middle half spent $173–$385. Elmwood Township spent more than 93% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($854,000), 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 towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Elmwood Township itself left out).
About $673 per resident a year, or $1.84 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: fire, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Elmwood Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,814 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.64% 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 Elmwood Township’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 Elmwood Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Elmwood Township →
Who’s in charge in Elmwood Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 282 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 (4,515).
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.
Traverse City Area Public Schools
Elmwood Township’s K–12 school district, shared with East Bay Township, Garfield Township, Long Lake Township, Peninsula Township, Traverse City and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,423 per pupil, $8,413 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.
Suttons Bay Public Schools · $17,416 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Elmwood Township voted in 2024
Official results for Elmwood Township’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat53.1%1,925 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican45.7%1,657 votesOthers: 1.2% (44 votes).
Most votes in Elmwood Township: Kamala D Harris
Leelanau County: Harris 53.2%, Trump 45.4% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Elmwood Township’s 4,037 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat52.1%
Mike RogersRepublican46.5%Most votes in Elmwood Township: Elissa Slotkin
Leelanau County: Slotkin 52.2%, Rogers 46.2% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Jack Bergman
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Elmwood Township, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elmwood Township | 53.1% | 45.7% | 1.2% | 3,626 |
| Leelanau County | 53.2% | 45.4% | 1.4% | 17,685 |
| Michigan | 48.3% | 49.7% | 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 Elmwood Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal 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.
How Elmwood Township compares with the towns next door
Elmwood Township spent $673 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $103 to $5,306. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Bingham Township | $103 | $2,563 |
| Solon Township | $317 | $2,343 |
| Traverse City | $5,306 | $4,671 |
| Elmwood Township | $673 | $2,814 |
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 Elmwood Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Elmwood Township’s government
How much does Elmwood Township spend per resident?
About $673 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $673 was more than 93% of 364 Michigan towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Elmwood Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,814 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.64% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Elmwood Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Elmwood Township yet.
How did Elmwood Township vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 53.1%, Donald J Trump 45.7% (3,626 votes, official results). Leelanau County: Harris 53.2%, Trump 45.4%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Elmwood Township?
16 full-time and 19 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $87,248 (about $1.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Elmwood Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 37 (John Damoose) and State House District 103 (Betsy Coffia). The House district also covers 22 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Elmwood Township’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 →