Photo: Charles W. Bash · CC BY-SA 3.0St. James Township spent more per resident in 2022 than 99% of similar towns
St. James Township’s town government spent $870,000 on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2022, about $2,397 per resident.
What stands out about how St. James Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$2,397 per resident in 2022: more than 99% of them
St. James Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,397 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. St. James Township spent more than 99% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($215,000), 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; St. James Township itself left out).
About $2,397 per resident a year, or $6.57 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 44%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
St. James Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,500 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.07% 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 St. James 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 St. James Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in St. James Township →
Who’s in charge in St. James Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 363 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (363).
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.
Beaver Island Community School
St. James Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Peaine Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $48,604 per pupil, $28,491 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.
St. James Township’s votes are counted by county
Michigan reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for St. James Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Charlevoix County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican57.7%10,183 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat40.8%7,197 votesOthers: 1.6% (281 votes).
Most votes in Charlevoix County: Donald J Trump
Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
100% of St. James Township lies in Charlevoix County. Every 2024 race in Charlevoix County is on the county’s page.
Charlevoix County’s 2024 results →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. 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 St. James 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 St. James Township compares with the towns next door
St. James Township spent $2,397 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $2,285. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Peaine Township | $2,285 | $4,000 |
| St. James Township | $2,397 | $3,500 |
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 St. James Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about St. James Township’s government
How much does St. James Township spend per resident?
About $2,397 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 $2,397 was more than 99% of 686 Michigan towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in St. James Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,500 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.07% 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 St. James Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for St. James Township yet.
How did St. James Township vote in 2024?
Michigan counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for St. James Township alone. Charlevoix County, where 100% of St. James Township lies, voted Trump 57.7%, Harris 40.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for St. James Township?
1 full-time and 33 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $27,526 (about $330,312 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents St. James Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 37 (John Damoose) and State House District 107 (Parker Fairbairn). The House district also covers 57 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about St. James 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 →