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Sutton ParkPhoto: Gpwitteveen · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Suttons Bay

Suttons Bay spent more per resident in 2022 than 92% of similar cities

Suttons Bay’s village government spent $1.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $3,016 per resident.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$1.9M
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$3,016
In 2022: $3,016, more than 92% of 291 similar cities
Long-term debt
$1.7M
end of 2022, reported
Village staff, 2022
8
full-time · 19 part-time · March payroll $45,845
Typical tax bill
$4,471
0.85% of home value · MI 1.25%

What stands out about how Suttons Bay is run

Read from the village’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $3,016 per resident, more than 92% of 291 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer32% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Suttons Bay Public Schools with 2 other towns.
Compared with similar places

$3,016 per resident in 2022: more than 92% of them

Suttons Bay’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,016 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–$1,622. Suttons Bay spent more than 92% of them.

Middle half of the group, $748–$1,622Median $1,078Suttons Bay

Includes sewer and trash ($602,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
291

Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Suttons Bay itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $3,016 per resident a year, or $8.26 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 32%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 43%Property taxes 30%Utility sales 10%From the state 9%Interest, fines & other 7%From other local governments 1%Other taxes & licenses 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $219,000; interest on debt $62,000; payments to other governments $77,000. With these, the whole budget was $2.2 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

Suttons Bay reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $4,471 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.85% of the home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Suttons Bay$4,471
Michigan$2,904
$4,471
typical bill a year
0.85%
effective rate
$523,200
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Suttons Bay’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 Suttons Bay’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Suttons Bay →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Suttons Bay

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

Check Suttons Bay’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Suttons Bay yet.
Who works for Suttons Bay

One full-time village employee for every 77 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 (617).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings3 + 18 pt
Sewer & trash3
Roads & transportation1
Water & other utilities1
Parks & libraries0 + 1 pt
8
full-time
19
part-time
$45,845
payroll for March 2022
$550,140
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$64,200
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Suttons Bay had 13.0 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 233 of the 291 Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 4.4: Suttons Bay had more than 93% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Suttons Bay Public Schools

Suttons Bay’s K–12 school district, shared with Bingham Township, Suttons Bay Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Suttons Bay →
$17,416
per pupil · MI $16,528
551
students
$7.3 million
long-term debt

Of the $17,416 per pupil, $9,152 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 59%State 30%Federal 11%

Michigan districts overall: 34% local, 57% state, 9% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Suttons Bay’s votes are counted by county

Michigan reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Suttons Bay alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Leelanau County’s results.

President · Leelanau County’s results17,685 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat53.2%9,406 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican45.4%8,035 votes

Others: 1.4% (244 votes).

Most votes in Leelanau County: Kamala D Harris

Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%

The county’s page

100% of Suttons Bay lies in Leelanau County. Every 2024 race in Leelanau County is on the county’s page.

Leelanau County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Suttons Bay

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Suttons Bay.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Michigan HouseState representatives
    Betsy Coffia
  3. 3
    Michigan SenateState senator
    John Damoose
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Gretchen Whitmer
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Jack Bergman
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Michigan
    Gary C. PetersElissa Slotkin

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Suttons Bay’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Suttons Bay’s government

How much does Suttons Bay spend per resident?

About $3,016 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $3,016 was more than 92% of 291 Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Suttons Bay?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,471 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.85% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the village’s assessor.

Who runs Suttons Bay’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Suttons Bay yet.

How did Suttons Bay vote in 2024?

Michigan counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Suttons Bay alone. Leelanau County, where 100% of Suttons Bay lies, voted Harris 53.2%, Trump 45.4% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Suttons Bay?

8 full-time and 19 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $45,845 (about $550,140 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Suttons Bay in the state legislature?

State Senate District 37 (John Damoose) and State House District 103 (Betsy Coffia). The House district also covers 22 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Suttons Bay’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →