Photo: Phoenix-Five · CC BY-SA 4.0Fife Lake spent less per resident in 2022 than 83% of similar cities
Fife Lake’s village government spent $282,000 on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2022, about $590 per resident.
What stands out about how Fife Lake is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$590 per resident in 2022: less than 83% of them
Fife Lake’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($590 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 $1,081, and the middle half spent $751–$1,663. Fife Lake spent less than 83% of 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; Fife Lake itself left out).
About $590 per resident a year, or $1.62 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 54%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Fife Lake reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,293 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.13% 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 Fife Lake’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 Fife Lake’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Fife Lake →
Who’s in charge in Fife Lake
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time village employee for every 478 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 (478).
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.
Forest Area Community Schools
Fife Lake’s K–12 school district, shared with Boardman Township, Springfield Township, Fife Lake Township, Union Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,218 per pupil, $8,644 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.
Fife Lake’s votes are counted by county
Michigan reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Fife Lake alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Grand Traverse County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican50.1%31,423 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat48.3%30,339 votesOthers: 1.6% (1,010 votes).
Most votes in Grand Traverse County: Donald J Trump
Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
100% of Fife Lake lies in Grand Traverse County. Every 2024 race in Grand Traverse County is on the county’s page.
Grand Traverse 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 Fife Lake.
- 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 Fife Lake’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Fife Lake’s government
How much does Fife Lake spend per resident?
About $590 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $590 was less than 83% of 291 Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Fife Lake?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,293 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.13% 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 Fife Lake’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Fife Lake yet.
How did Fife Lake vote in 2024?
Michigan counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Fife Lake alone. Grand Traverse County, where 100% of Fife Lake lies, voted Trump 50.1%, Harris 48.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Fife Lake?
1 full-time and 18 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $7,083 (about $84,996 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Fife Lake in the state legislature?
State Senate District 37 (John Damoose) and State House District 104 (J.R. Roth). The House district also covers 69 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Fife Lake’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 →