How is Zilwaukee run?
Zilwaukee’s city government spent $1.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,069 per resident.
What stands out about how Zilwaukee is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,069 per resident a year, or $2.93 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 38%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,069 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Zilwaukee’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,069 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. Zilwaukee spent less than 51% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($621,000), 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; Zilwaukee itself left out).
No trend yet
Zilwaukee reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,321 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.44% 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 Zilwaukee’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 Zilwaukee’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Zilwaukee →
Who’s in charge in Zilwaukee
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Zilwaukee’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on zilwaukeemichigan.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 253 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 (1,517).
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.
Saginaw City School District
Zilwaukee’s K–12 school district, shared with Saginaw, Kochville Township, Buena Vista Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,812 per pupil, $10,051 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 Zilwaukee voted in 2024
Official results for Zilwaukee’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican57.9%529 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat40.6%371 votesOthers: 1.4% (13 votes).
Most votes in Zilwaukee: Donald J Trump
Saginaw County: Trump 51.0%, Harris 47.7% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Zilwaukee’s 1,373 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Mike RogersRepublican54.5%
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat42.5%Most votes in Zilwaukee: Mike Rogers
Saginaw County: Slotkin 48.7%, Rogers 48.7% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Kristen McDonald Rivet
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Zilwaukee, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zilwaukee | 57.9% | 40.6% | 1.4% | 913 |
| Saginaw County | 51.0% | 47.7% | 1.4% | 103,846 |
| 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 Zilwaukee.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: zilwaukeemichigan.gov ↗
- 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 Zilwaukee compares with the towns next door
Zilwaukee spent $1,069 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Carrollton Township | $794 | $1,744 |
| Zilwaukee Township | $831 | $2,500 |
| Buena Vista Township | $1,152 | $1,497 |
| Zilwaukee | $1,069 | $2,321 |
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 Zilwaukee’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Zilwaukee’s government
How much does Zilwaukee spend per resident?
About $1,069 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 $1,069 was less than 51% of 291 Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Zilwaukee?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,321 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.44% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see zilwaukeemichigan.gov.
Who runs Zilwaukee’s government?
See zilwaukeemichigan.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Zilwaukee yet.
How did Zilwaukee vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 57.9%, Kamala D Harris 40.6% (913 votes, official results). Saginaw County: Trump 51.0%, Harris 47.7%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Zilwaukee?
6 full-time and 6 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $35,810 (about $429,720 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Zilwaukee in the state legislature?
State Senate District 35 (Chedrick Greene) and State House District 97 (Matt Bierlein). The House district also covers 35 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Zilwaukee’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 →