Photo: Johnrozsa · CC BY-SA 4.0How is Oak Park run?
Oak Park’s city government spent $48.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $1,662 per resident.
What stands out about how Oak Park is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Oak Park’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov12Arts and Cultural Diversity CommissionThursday · 6:00 pmArts and Cultural Diversity Commission Meeting 11-12-26Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov16City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pmCity Council Meeting 11-16-26Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov17Library BoardTuesday · 6:30 pmLibrary Board Meeting 11-17-26Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov18Traffic Safety BoardWednesday · 6:00 pmTraffic Safety Board Meeting 11-18-26Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov18Parks and Recreation CommissionWednesday · 6:30 pmParks and Recreation Commission Meeting 11-18-26Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov19Corridor Improvement AuthorityThursday · 12:00 pmCorridor Improvement Authority Meeting 11-19-26Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Nov2City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pmCity Council Meeting 11-2-26Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov2Planning CommissionMonday · 6:00 pmPlanning Commission Meeting 11-2-26Meeting page ↗
- Oct27Zoning Board of AppealsTuesday · 7:00 pmZoning Board of Appeals Meeting 10-27-26Meeting page ↗
- Oct26ERS/PSRS Board of TrusteesMonday · 4:30 pmRetirement Board Meeting 10-26-26Meeting page ↗
- Oct21Parks and Recreation CommissionWednesday · 6:30 pmParks and Recreation Commission Meeting 10-21-26Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $1,662 per resident a year, or $4.55 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,679 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Oak Park’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,679 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 $1,617, and the middle half spent $1,446–$2,015. Oak Park spent more than 50% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($13.7 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 →
Michigan cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Oak Park itself left out).
Day-to-day spending has held about steady since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Oak Park 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: $1,679 · 2023: $1,662.
full-time in March 2025, up from 138 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,839 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.34% 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 Oak Park’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 Oak Park’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Oak Park →
Who’s in charge in Oak Park
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 176 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (29,322).
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.
Oak Park City School District
Oak Park’s K–12 school district, shared with Royal Oak Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $20,244 per pupil, $10,878 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.
Berkley School District · $20,296 per pupil
Ferndale Public Schools · $15,020 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Oak Park voted in 2024
Official results for Oak Park’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat77.5%13,792 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican20.8%3,708 votesOthers: 1.6% (289 votes).
Most votes in Oak Park: Kamala D Harris
Oakland County: Harris 54.3%, Trump 43.7% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Oak Park’s 23,034 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat77.9%
Mike RogersRepublican19.5%Most votes in Oak Park: Elissa Slotkin
Oakland County: Slotkin 54.8%, Rogers 42.7% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Haley Stevens
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Oak Park, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Park | 77.5% | 20.8% | 1.6% | 17,789 |
| Oakland County | 54.3% | 43.7% | 1.9% | 772,145 |
| 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 Oak Park.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: oakparkmi.gov ↗
- 2Michigan HouseOak Park 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 Oak Park compares with the towns next door
Oak Park spent $1,679 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $686 to $2,460. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Oak Township | $686 | $2,277 |
| Berkley | $1,667 | $3,934 |
| Southfield | $1,927 | $3,832 |
| Huntington Woods | $2,300 | $7,862 |
| Ferndale | $2,460 | $3,867 |
| Oak Park | $1,679 | $2,839 |
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 Oak Park’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Oak Park’s government
How much does Oak Park spend per resident?
About $1,662 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,679 was more than 50% of 18 Michigan cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Oak Park?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,839 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.34% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see oakparkmi.gov.
Who runs Oak Park’s government?
See oakparkmi.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Oak Park yet.
How did Oak Park vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 77.5%, Donald J Trump 20.8% (17,789 votes, official results). Oakland County: Harris 54.3%, Trump 43.7%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Oak Park?
167 full-time and 42 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.3M (about $15.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Oak Park in the state legislature?
Oak Park is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Michigan Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 8 (Mallory McMorrow). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Oak Park?
The next posted meeting is Arts and Cultural Diversity Commission on Thursday, November 12, at 6:00 pm, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Oak Park’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 →