How is Merrill run?
Merrill’s village government spent $786,000 on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2022, about $1,092 per resident.
What stands out about how Merrill is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
About $1,092 per resident a year, or $2.99 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 42%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,092 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Merrill’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,092 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 $1,078, and the middle half spent $748–$1,663. Merrill spent more than 52% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($239,000), 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 cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Merrill itself left out).
No trend yet
Merrill reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,351 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.52% 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 Merrill’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 Merrill’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Merrill →
Who’s in charge in Merrill
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Merrill Community Schools
Merrill’s K–12 school district, shared with Lakefield Township, Jonesfield Township, Marion Township, Mount Haley Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,016 per pupil, $10,016 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.
Merrill’s votes are counted by county
Michigan reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Merrill alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Saginaw County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican51.0%52,912 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat47.7%49,515 votesOthers: 1.4% (1,419 votes).
Most votes in Saginaw County: Donald J Trump
Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
100% of Merrill lies in Saginaw County. Every 2024 race in Saginaw County is on the county’s page.
Saginaw 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 Merrill.
- 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 Merrill’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Merrill’s government
How much does Merrill spend per resident?
About $1,092 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 $1,092 was more than 52% of 291 Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Merrill?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,351 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.52% 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 Merrill’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Merrill yet.
How did Merrill vote in 2024?
Michigan counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Merrill alone. Saginaw County, where 100% of Merrill lies, voted Trump 51.0%, Harris 47.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Merrill?
0 full-time and 17 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $9,073 (about $108,876 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Merrill in the state legislature?
State Senate District 34 (Roger Hauck) and State House District 93 (Tim Kelly). The House district also covers 48 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Merrill’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 →