Merritt Township spent more per resident in 2022 than 81% of similar towns
Merritt Township’s town government spent $697,000 on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2022, about $512 per resident.
What stands out about how Merritt Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$512 per resident in 2022: more than 81% of them
Merritt Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($512 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 686 Michigan towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $275, and the middle half spent $193–$426. Merritt Township spent more than 81% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($295,000), 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 towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Merritt Township itself left out).
About $512 per resident a year, or $1.40 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 42%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Merritt Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,888 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.22% 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 Merritt Township’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 Merritt Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Merritt Township →
Who’s in charge in Merritt Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Bay City School District
Merritt Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Auburn, Monitor Township, Portsmouth Township, Williams Township, Bay City and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,490 per pupil, $9,564 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.
Reese Public Schools · $14,964 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Merritt Township voted in 2024
Official results for Merritt Township’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican73.8%658 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat25.1%224 votesOthers: 1.1% (10 votes).
Most votes in Merritt Township: Donald J Trump
Bay County: Trump 56.7%, Harris 42.0% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Merritt Township’s 1,177 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Mike RogersRepublican68.4%
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat28.6%Most votes in Merritt Township: Mike Rogers
Bay County: Rogers 53.4%, Slotkin 43.7% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Kristen McDonald Rivet
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Merritt Township, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merritt Township | 73.8% | 25.1% | 1.1% | 892 |
| Bay County | 56.7% | 42.0% | 1.3% | 61,338 |
| Michigan | 49.7% | 48.3% | 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 Merritt Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal 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 Merritt Township compares with the towns next door
Merritt Township spent $512 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $265 to $1,152. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Blumfield Township | $265 | $2,848 |
| Portsmouth Township | $419 | $2,242 |
| Hampton Township | $778 | $2,760 |
| Gilford Township | $791 | $1,837 |
| Buena Vista Township | $1,152 | $1,497 |
| Merritt Township | $512 | $1,888 |
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 Merritt Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Merritt Township’s government
How much does Merritt Township spend per resident?
About $512 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $512 was more than 81% of 686 Michigan towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Merritt Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,888 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.22% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Merritt Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Merritt Township yet.
How did Merritt Township vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 73.8%, Kamala D Harris 25.1% (892 votes, official results). Bay County: Trump 56.7%, Harris 42.0%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Merritt Township?
0 full-time and 24 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $14,053 (about $168,636 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Merritt Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 35 (Chedrick Greene) and State House District 96 (Timmy Beson). The House district also covers 11 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Merritt Township’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 →