How is Parchment run?
Parchment’s city government spent $2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,073 per resident.
What stands out about how Parchment is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Parchment School District
Parchment’s K–12 school district, shared with Cooper Township, Kalamazoo Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,999 per pupil, $8,060 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.
About $1,073 per resident a year, or $2.94 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 34%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,073 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Parchment’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,073 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 $1,081, and the middle half spent $748–$1,663. Parchment spent less than 50% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($146,000), 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; Parchment itself left out).
No trend yet
Parchment reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,082 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.68% 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 Parchment’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 Parchment’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Parchment →
Who’s in charge in Parchment
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Parchment’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on parchment.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 456 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 (1,825).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
How Parchment voted in 2024
Official results for Parchment’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat57.6%619 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican41.5%446 votesOthers: 0.9% (10 votes).
Most votes in Parchment: Kamala D Harris
Kalamazoo County: Harris 58.0%, Trump 40.3% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Parchment’s 1,586 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat55.7%
Mike RogersRepublican41.1%Most votes in Parchment: Elissa Slotkin
Kalamazoo County: Slotkin 57.0%, Rogers 39.9% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Bill Huizenga
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Parchment, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parchment | 57.6% | 41.5% | 0.9% | 1,075 |
| Kalamazoo County | 58.0% | 40.3% | 1.7% | 145,710 |
| 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 Parchment.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: parchment.org ↗
- 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 Parchment compares with the towns next door
Parchment spent $1,073 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $468 to $1,881. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Kalamazoo Township | $468 | $2,847 |
| Kalamazoo | $1,881 | $2,958 |
| Parchment | $1,073 | $3,082 |
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 Parchment’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Parchment’s government
How much does Parchment spend per resident?
About $1,073 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 $1,073 was less than 50% of 291 Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Parchment?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,082 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.68% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see parchment.org.
Who runs Parchment’s government?
See parchment.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Parchment yet.
How did Parchment vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 57.6%, Donald J Trump 41.5% (1,075 votes, official results). Kalamazoo County: Harris 58.0%, Trump 40.3%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Parchment?
4 full-time and 13 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $30,154 (about $361,848 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Parchment in the state legislature?
State Senate District 19 (Sean McCann) and State House District 42 (Matt Hall). The House district also covers 20 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Parchment’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 →