Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0Silver Bay spent more per resident in 2022 than 91% of similar cities
Silver Bay’s city government spent $3.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,998 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.8 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Silver Bay is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,998 per resident in 2022: more than 91% of them
Silver Bay’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,998 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,111, and the middle half spent $740–$1,504. Silver Bay spent more than 91% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($573,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Silver Bay itself left out).
About $1,998 per resident a year, or $5.47 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: parks & libraries, at 28%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Silver Bay reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,234 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.78% of the home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Silver 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 Silver Bay’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Silver Bay →
Who’s in charge in Silver Bay
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Silver Bay’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on silverbay.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 88 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 (1,751).
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.
Lake Superior Public School District
Silver Bay’s K–12 school district, shared with Alden Township, Ault Township, Beaver Bay, Beaver Bay Township, Crystal Bay Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,682 per pupil, $10,465 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.
Minnesota districts overall: 30% local, 62% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Silver Bay’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Silver Bay alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Lake County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat50.8%3,534 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican47.0%3,265 votesOthers: 2.2% (155 votes).
Most votes in Lake County: Kamala D Harris
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of Silver Bay lies in Lake County. Every 2024 race in Lake County is on the county’s page.
Lake 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 Silver Bay.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: silverbay.com ↗
- 2Minnesota HouseState representatives
- 3Minnesota SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Minnesota
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Silver Bay compares with the towns next door
Silver Bay spent $1,998 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Beaver Bay Township | $238 | $1,766 |
| Silver Bay | $1,998 | $1,234 |
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 Silver Bay’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Silver Bay’s government
How much does Silver Bay spend per resident?
About $1,998 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 $1,998 was more than 91% of 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Silver Bay?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,234 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.78% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see silverbay.com.
Who runs Silver Bay’s government?
See silverbay.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Silver Bay yet.
How did Silver Bay vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Silver Bay alone. Lake County, where 100% of Silver Bay lies, voted Harris 50.8%, Trump 47.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Silver Bay?
20 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $138,278 (about $1.7M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Silver Bay in the state legislature?
State Senate District 3 (Grant Hauschild) and State House District 3A (Roger Skraba). The House district also covers 56 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Silver Bay’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 →