Photo: User Mxobe on en.wikipedia · Public domainHow is Kalamazoo run?
Kalamazoo’s city government spent $163 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $2,237 per resident.
Planning Commission
7:00 pm · Kalamazoo City Hall, 241 W. South Street
All meetings →What stands out about how Kalamazoo is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Kalamazoo’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov5Planning CommissionThursday · 7:00 pm · Kalamazoo City Hall, 241 W. South StreetPlanning Commission - Regular MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov9City CommissionMonday · 5:00 pm · Kalamazoo City Hall, 241 W. South StreetCity Commission Committee of the WholeMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov9City CommissionMonday · 7:00 pm · Kalamazoo City Hall, 241 W. South StreetCity Commission Business MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov11Historic Preservation CommissionWednesday · 6:00 pm · City Hall, 241 W. South StreetMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov12Zoning Board of AppealsThursday · 7:00 pm · Kalamazoo City Hall, 241 W. South StreetMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov16Downtown Economic Growth Authority BoardMonday · 3:00 pm · City Hall, 241 W. South StreetMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Oct27Natural Features Protection Review BoardTuesday · 4:00 pm · Kalamazoo City Hall, 241 W. South StreetMeeting page ↗
- Oct26Foundation for Excellence Board of DirectorsMonday · 2:00 pm · Crosstown Community Room, 150 E Crosstown ParkwayAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct21Environmental Concerns CommitteeWednesday · 4:30 pm · Kalamazoo City Hall, 241 W. South StreetAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct20Historic District CommissionTuesday · 5:00 pm · Kalamazoo City Hall, 241 W. South StreetAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct19City CommissionMonday · 7:00 pm · Kalamazoo City Hall, 241 W. South StreetCity Commission Business MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $2,237 per resident a year, or $6.13 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 25%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,881 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Kalamazoo’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,881 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 16 Michigan cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,648, and the middle half spent $1,430–$1,976. Kalamazoo spent more than 62% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($49.2 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 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Kalamazoo itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 14% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Kalamazoo reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,881 · 2023: $1,602 · 2024: $2,237.
full-time in March 2025, up from 620 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
Who’s in charge in Kalamazoo
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: kalamazoocity.org ↗
The typical homeowner pays $2,958 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.65% 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 Kalamazoo’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 Kalamazoo’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Kalamazoo →
One full-time city employee for every 96 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (72,873).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Kalamazoo Public School District
Kalamazoo’s K–12 school district, shared with Kalamazoo Township, Oshtemo Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,885 per pupil, $8,963 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.
Portage Public Schools · $14,396 per pupil
Comstock Public Schools · $16,574 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Kalamazoo voted in 2024
Official results for Kalamazoo’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat76.7%24,751 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican21.5%6,947 votesOthers: 1.8% (577 votes).
Most votes in Kalamazoo: Kamala D Harris
Kalamazoo County: Harris 58.0%, Trump 40.3% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Kalamazoo’s 56,074 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat75.2%
Mike RogersRepublican21.2%Most votes in Kalamazoo: Elissa Slotkin
Kalamazoo County: Slotkin 57.0%, Rogers 39.9% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Bill Huizenga
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Kalamazoo, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalamazoo | 76.7% | 21.5% | 1.8% | 32,275 |
| Kalamazoo County | 58.0% | 40.3% | 1.7% | 145,710 |
| 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 Kalamazoo.
- 1Your cityMayorDavid Andersonas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Michigan HouseKalamazoo is split between 2 districts
- 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 Kalamazoo compares with the towns next door
Kalamazoo spent $1,881 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Oshtemo Township | $282 | $4,306 |
| Kalamazoo Township | $468 | $2,847 |
| Comstock Township | $518 | $3,184 |
| Portage | $884 | $4,082 |
| Parchment | $1,073 | $3,082 |
| Kalamazoo | $1,881 | $2,958 |
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 Kalamazoo’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Kalamazoo’s government
How much does Kalamazoo spend per resident?
About $2,237 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,881 was more than 62% of 16 Michigan cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Kalamazoo?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,958 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.65% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see kalamazoocity.org.
Who is the mayor of Kalamazoo?
David Anderson, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on kalamazoocity.org.
How did Kalamazoo vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 76.7%, Donald J Trump 21.5% (32,275 votes, official results). Kalamazoo County: Harris 58.0%, Trump 40.3%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Kalamazoo?
761 full-time and 49 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $5.2M (about $61.9M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Kalamazoo in the state legislature?
Kalamazoo is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Michigan Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 19 (Sean McCann). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Kalamazoo?
The next posted meeting is Planning Commission on Thursday, November 5, at 7:00 pm in Kalamazoo City Hall, 241 W. South Street, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Kalamazoo’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 →