Town Hall · Ferndale

Ferndale, MI town hall & government

Ferndale spent $57.9 million in the year to June 30, 2024, about $3,051 per resident.

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

Town budget

Where Ferndale's money goes

Spent
$57.9 million
fiscal year to June 30, 2024
Per resident
$3,051
typical Michigan cities: $2,810
Long-term debt
$70.8 million
$3,734 per resident
Sewer & trash
$15.9 million28%
Roads & transportation
$8.6 million15%
Police
$7.3 million13%
Fire
$6.1 million10%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$3.7 million6%
Administration & buildings
$3.6 million6%
Water & other utilities
$2.4 million4%
Parks & libraries
$2.3 million4%
Interest on debt
$1.8 million3%
Housing & development
$50,000<1%
Other
$6.2 million11%

Where the money comes from

  • Property taxes 38%
  • Fees & charges 20%
  • From the state 16%
  • Utility sales 12%
  • Interest, fines & other 9%
  • Other taxes & licenses 2%
  • From other local governments 2%
  • From the federal government 1%
Town workforce

Who works for Ferndale

Full-time staff
122
14 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$79,800
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
40
and 22 full-time firefighters
Police
52 full-time4 part
Fire
24 full-time1 part
Administration & buildings
14 full-time
Courts, inspections & corrections
10 full-time4 part
Roads & transportation
9 full-time
Parks & libraries
4 full-time5 part
Housing & development
4 full-time
Water & other utilities
4 full-time
Sewer & trash
1 full-time

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2025. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate.

Schools · school year 2023–24

Ferndale Public Schools

Ferndale's K–12 school district, shared with Pleasant Ridge and Royal Oak. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$15,020
Michigan: $16,528
Students
3,176
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$107.8 million
at year end

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

  • Local 35%
  • State 58%
  • Federal 7%

Of the $15,020 per pupil, $8,318 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.

Also serving Ferndale: Hazel Park City School District ($22,396 per pupil).

Property tax

What homeowners in Ferndale pay

Typical tax bill
$3,867
a year · Michigan typical $2,904
Effective rate
1.56%
of home value · Michigan 1.25%
Typical home value
$247,700
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.

Local

Contact Ferndale's government

🏛️ Official websiteferndalemi.gov ↗

Town hall & decisions in Ferndale →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Ferndale

Ferndale is represented in Congress by Senators Gary C. Peters and Elissa Slotkin and Representative Haley M. Stevens. Gretchen Whitmer is governor.

All of Ferndale'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.

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Ferndale

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