How is Reading run?
Reading’s city government spent $1.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,139 per resident.
What stands out about how Reading is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,139 per resident a year, or $3.12 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 36%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,139 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Reading’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,139 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. Reading spent more than 57% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($424,000), 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; Reading itself left out).
No trend yet
Reading reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,189 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.10% 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 Reading’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 Reading’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Reading →
Who’s in charge in Reading
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 261 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 (1,042).
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.
Reading Community Schools
Reading’s K–12 school district, shared with Reading Township, Montgomery, Cambria Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,611 per pupil, $7,989 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.
How Reading voted in 2024
Official results for Reading’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican71.8%339 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat26.1%123 votesOthers: 2.1% (10 votes).
Most votes in Reading: Donald J Trump
Hillsdale County: Trump 75.0%, Harris 23.7% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Reading’s 763 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Mike RogersRepublican66.9%
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat28.2%Most votes in Reading: Mike Rogers
Hillsdale County: Rogers 72.9%, Slotkin 24.3% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Tim Walberg
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Reading, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 71.8% | 26.1% | 2.1% | 472 |
| Hillsdale County | 75.0% | 23.7% | 1.3% | 24,828 |
| 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 Reading.
- 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 Reading’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Reading’s government
How much does Reading spend per resident?
About $1,139 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 $1,139 was more than 57% of 291 Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Reading?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,189 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.10% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who runs Reading’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Reading yet.
How did Reading vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 71.8%, Kamala D Harris 26.1% (472 votes, official results). Hillsdale County: Trump 75.0%, Harris 23.7%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Reading?
4 full-time and 36 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $33,146 (about $397,752 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Reading in the state legislature?
State Senate District 17 (Jonathan Lindsey) and State House District 35 (Jennifer Wortz). The House district also covers 48 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Reading’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 →