How is Gaines run?
Gaines’ village government spent $386,000 on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2024, about $1,029 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Gaines didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how Gaines is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
About $1,029 per resident a year, or $2.82 a day
Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 52%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Gaines didn’t report all of its 2024 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.
No comparison or trend for Gaines yet
Every year of Gaines’ figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the village reported none of its dollars for 2022–2024. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $1,936 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.44% 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 Gaines’ 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 Gaines’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Gaines →
Who’s in charge in Gaines
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time village employee for every 375 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (375).
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.
Swartz Creek Community Schools
Gaines’ K–12 school district, shared with Swartz Creek, Gaines Township, Clayton Township, Mundy Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,686 per pupil, $7,591 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.
Gaines’ votes are counted by county
Michigan reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Gaines alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Genesee County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat51.4%114,670 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican47.2%105,303 votesOthers: 1.5% (3,295 votes).
Most votes in Genesee County: Kamala D Harris
Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
100% of Gaines lies in Genesee County. Every 2024 race in Genesee County is on the county’s page.
Genesee 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 Gaines.
- 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.
How Gaines compares with the towns next door
Gaines’ own figures are Census estimates, so it isn’t placed among its neighbors. 2 of the 2 towns next door reported 2022 figures, from $252 to $500 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Gaines Township | $252 | $2,799 |
| Argentine Township | $500 | $2,956 |
| Gaines | estimate | $1,936 |
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 Gaines’ government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Gaines’ government
How much does Gaines spend per resident?
About $1,029 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2024, a Census Bureau estimate (Gaines didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $505,000.
What is the property tax rate in Gaines?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,936 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.44% 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 Gaines’ government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Gaines yet.
How did Gaines vote in 2024?
Michigan counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Gaines alone. Genesee County, where 100% of Gaines lies, voted Harris 51.4%, Trump 47.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Gaines?
1 full-time and 10 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $8,144 (about $97,728 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Gaines in the state legislature?
State Senate District 27 (John Cherry) and State House District 71 (Brian BeGole). The House district also covers 33 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Gaines’ 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 (for Gaines, the Bureau’s estimates); 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 →