Photo: bigmikesndtech · CC BY 2.0How is Muskegon run?
Muskegon’s city government spent $72.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,889 per resident.
What stands out about how Muskegon is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Muskegon’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov5Housing Board of AppealsThursday · 5:30 pm · 933 Terrace StreetHousing Board of Appeals - CANCELEDMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov9GeneralMonday · 5:30 pm · Muskegon City Hall, 933 Terrace Street, Muskegon, MI 49440 - Room 107 - Commission ChambersWorksessionMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov9Community Relations CommitteeMonday · 5:30 pm · Muskegon City Hall, 933 Terrace Street, Muskegon, MI 49440 - Room 107 - Commission ChambersMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10Downtown Development Authority/BRATuesday · 10:30 am · 933 Terrace StreetMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10Zoning Board of AppealsTuesday · 4:00 pm · 933 Terrace StreetMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10City CommissionTuesday · 5:30 pm · Muskegon City Hall, 933 Terrace Street, Muskegon, MI 49440 - Room 107 - Commission ChambersCity Commission MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Nov3Citizens District CouncilTuesday · 5:30 pm · 933 Terrace Street, Room 103Meeting page ↗
- Nov3Zoning Board of AppealsTuesday · 4:00 pm · Muskegon City Hall, 933 Terrace Street, Muskegon, MI 49440 - Room 203Special Meeting - Zoning Board of AppealsAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov3Historic District CommissionTuesday · 4:00 pm · 933 Terrace StreetAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov3Lakeside CIA/BID MeetingTuesday · 9:00 am · 933 Terrace Street, Room 204Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct27City CommissionTuesday · 5:30 pm · Charles Hackley Middle School, 180 E. LaketonJoint Commission/MPS School MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $1,889 per resident a year, or $5.18 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 26%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,686 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Muskegon’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,686 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 18 Michigan cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,614, and the middle half spent $1,446–$2,015. Muskegon spent more than 56% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($17.1 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 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Muskegon itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 17% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Muskegon 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: $1,686 · 2023: $1,825 · 2024: $1,889. Per resident it went from $1,686 to $1,889 (up 12%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 36,462 to 38,220.
full-time in March 2025, up from 267 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
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 Muskegon
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: muskegon-mi.gov ↗
The typical homeowner pays $1,468 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.03% 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 Muskegon’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 Muskegon’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Muskegon →
One full-time city employee for every 137 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (38,220).
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.
Muskegon City School District
Muskegon’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $20,824 per pupil, $8,982 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.
Orchard View Schools · $17,355 per pupil
Reeths-Puffer Schools · $14,165 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Muskegon voted in 2024
Official results for Muskegon’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat68.8%10,525 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican29.6%4,527 votesOthers: 1.6% (240 votes).
Most votes in Muskegon: Kamala D Harris
Muskegon County: Trump 50.1%, Harris 48.4% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Muskegon’s 28,119 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat68.1%
Mike RogersRepublican28.3%Most votes in Muskegon: Elissa Slotkin
Muskegon County: Rogers 48.4%, Slotkin 48.4% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Hillary Scholten
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Muskegon, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muskegon | 68.8% | 29.6% | 1.6% | 15,292 |
| Muskegon County | 48.4% | 50.1% | 1.5% | 95,181 |
| 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 Muskegon.
- 1Your cityMayorKen Johnsonas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 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 Muskegon compares with the towns next door
Muskegon spent $1,686 per resident in 2022; the 6 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $252 to $1,644. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Laketon Township | $252 | $2,753 |
| Fruitport Township | $440 | $2,528 |
| Muskegon Township | $1,002 | $1,952 |
| North Muskegon | $1,238 | $3,807 |
| Norton Shores | $1,325 | $2,857 |
| Muskegon Heights | $1,644 | $1,194 |
| Muskegon | $1,686 | $1,468 |
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 Muskegon’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Muskegon’s government
How much does Muskegon spend per resident?
About $1,889 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,686 was more than 56% of 18 Michigan cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Muskegon?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,468 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.03% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see muskegon-mi.gov.
Who is the mayor of Muskegon?
Ken Johnson, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on muskegon-mi.gov.
How did Muskegon vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 68.8%, Donald J Trump 29.6% (15,292 votes, official results). Muskegon County: Trump 50.1%, Harris 48.4%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Muskegon?
278 full-time and 24 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.6M (about $19.7M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Muskegon in the state legislature?
State Senate District 32 (Jon Bumstead) and State House District 87 (Will Snyder). The House district also covers seven other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Muskegon?
The next posted meeting is Housing Board of Appeals on Thursday, November 5, at 5:30 pm in 933 Terrace Street, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Muskegon’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 →