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DowntownlakeorionPhoto: TheKuLeR · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Lake Orion

How is Lake Orion run?

Lake Orion’s village government spent $5.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,616 per resident.

Town website
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$5.2M
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,616
In 2022: $1,616, less than 52% of 120 similar cities
Long-term debt
$5.9M
end of FY2022, reported
Village staff, 2022
17
full-time · 31 part-time · March payroll $99,117
Typical tax bill
$5,465
1.45% of home value · MI 1.25%

What stands out about how Lake Orion is run

Read from the village’s budget and official records.

★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,616 per resident a year, or $4.43 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 33%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 36%Fees & charges 20%Utility sales 19%From the state 16%Interest, fines & other 7%From other local governments 1%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $315,000; interest on debt $127,000; payments to other governments $1.3 million. With these, the whole budget was $6.9 million.
Compared with similar places

$1,616 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

Lake Orion’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,616 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 120 Michigan cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,684, and the middle half spent $1,295–$2,384. Lake Orion spent less than 52% of them.

Middle half of the group, $1,295–$2,384Median $1,684Lake Orion

Includes sewer and trash ($1.7 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 →

The group
120

Michigan cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Lake Orion itself left out).

Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $5,465 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.45% of the home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Lake Orion$5,465
Michigan$2,904
$5,465
typical bill a year
1.45%
effective rate
$376,600
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Lake Orion

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

See lakeorion.org for Lake Orion’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Lake Orion yet.lakeorion.org ↗
Agendas

Lake Orion’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The village posts agendas and minutes on lakeorion.org ↗.

Who works for Lake Orion

One full-time village employee for every 188 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 (3,191).

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

Administration & buildings5 + 22 pt
Police5 + 9 pt
Roads & transportation7
17
full-time
31
part-time
$99,117
payroll for March 2022
$1.2M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$51,900
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
4
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Lake Orion had 5.3 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 103 of the 120 Michigan cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 6.0: Lake Orion had fewer than 61% 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

Lake Orion Community Schools

Lake Orion’s K–12 school district, shared with Orion Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Lake Orion →
$16,801
per pupil · MI $16,528
6,745
students
$115.9 million
long-term debt

Of the $16,801 per pupil, $9,983 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 38%State 59%Federal 3%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Lake Orion’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Oakland County’s results772,145 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat54.3%419,519 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican43.7%337,791 votes

Others: 1.9% (14,835 votes).

Most votes in Oakland County: Kamala D Harris

Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%

The county’s page

100% of Lake Orion lies in Oakland County. Every 2024 race in Oakland County is on the county’s page.

Oakland 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 Lake Orion

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Lake Orion.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    Michigan HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Michigan SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Michigan

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

Reach Lake Orion’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Lake Orion’s government

How much does Lake Orion spend per resident?

About $1,616 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,616 was less than 52% of 120 Michigan cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Lake Orion?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,465 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.45% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see lakeorion.org.

Who runs Lake Orion’s government?

See lakeorion.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Lake Orion yet.

How did Lake Orion vote in 2024?

Michigan counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Lake Orion alone. Oakland County, where 100% of Lake Orion lies, voted Harris 54.3%, Trump 43.7% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Lake Orion?

17 full-time and 31 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $99,117 (about $1.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Lake Orion in the state legislature?

State Senate District 24 (Ruth Johnson) and State House District 54 (Donni Steele). The House district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Lake Orion’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 →