Town Hall · Bessemer

Bessemer, MI town hall & government

Bessemer spent $6 million in the year to June 30, 2022, about $3,532 per resident.

Where the money goes, where it comes from, property taxes, and how to reach Bessemer's government.

Town budget

Where Bessemer's money goes

Spent
$6 million
fiscal year to June 30, 2022
Per resident
$3,532
typical Michigan cities: $2,035
Long-term debt
$8.6 million
$5,074 per resident
Sewer & trash
$1.5 million25%
Paid to other governments
$1.3 million22%
Housing & development
$930,00016%
Roads & transportation
$377,0006%
Administration & buildings
$292,0005%
Parks & libraries
$101,0002%
Police
$98,0002%
Interest on debt
$94,0002%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$32,0001%
Water & other utilities
$26,000<1%
Fire
$17,000<1%
Other
$1.2 million21%

Where the money comes from

  • From the federal government 58%
  • Fees & charges 17%
  • From the state 9%
  • Utility sales 6%
  • Property taxes 6%
  • Interest, fines & other 4%
  • Other taxes & licenses <1%
Town workforce

Who works for Bessemer

Full-time staff
17
7 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$71,200
a year, before benefits
Roads & transportation
7 full-time
Administration & buildings
3 full-time6 part
Housing & development
5 full-time
Parks & libraries
1 full-time1 part
Water & other utilities
1 full-time

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2022. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate.

Schools · school year 2023–24

Bessemer Area School District

Bessemer's K–12 school district, shared with Bessemer. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$16,810
Michigan: $16,528
Students
352
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$733,000
at year end

Where the district's money comes from Michigan districts overall: 34% local, 57% state, 9% federal

  • Local 18%
  • State 59%
  • Federal 23%

Of the $16,810 per pupil, $8,875 goes to classroom instruction (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to support services such as buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren't in the per-pupil figure.

Property tax

What homeowners in Bessemer pay

Typical tax bill
$1,457
a year · Michigan typical $2,904
Effective rate
2.08%
of home value · Michigan 1.25%
Typical home value
$69,900
owner-occupied

The median yearly bill homeowners report, covering every local property tax on the home (town, schools, county). The effective rate is that bill divided by the median home value, so it's a rough guide, not the official tax rate. In a town this small the survey estimate has a wide margin.

Local

Contact Bessemer's government

🏛️ Official websitecityofbessemer.org ↗

Town hall & decisions in Bessemer →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Bessemer

Bessemer is represented in Congress by Senators Gary C. Peters and Elissa Slotkin and Representative Jack Bergman. Gretchen Whitmer is governor.

All of Bessemer's representatives, with contacts →

Budget: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Finance (every city and town government's revenue, spending and debt, grouped into plain categories). Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

The coffee’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Bessemer, MIView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map
Loading boundary…

Bessemer is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01