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Searchable database: Legacy costs in your community

Legacy costs are commitments made in the past that will be paid by future generations. The two biggest forms of legacy costs for local governments in Michigan are pensions and health care insurance for retired public workers.

Michigan has nearly 1,800 units of local government. Nearly 300 have some level of legacy costs. Two-thirds of Michigan’s total residents reside in communities with legacy costs.

This searchable database details the legacy costs in those communities. If your community is not listed, your community does not have or has not reported significant legacy costs.

Local community2010 populationLocal government general fund revenue (2011)Total unfunded legacy costsUnfunded legacy costs for each residentAdditional annual property taxes owner of a $100,000 home would pay to fully cover share of legacy costs.
Albion 8,616 3,707,414 $(7,797,230) $(905) $31
Algonac 4,110 $2,556,371 $1,315,031 $320 $76
Allen Park 28,210 20,084,222 $144,225,807 $5,113 $564
Alma 9,383 4,048,475 $1,232,544 $131 $68
Alpena 10,483 9,392,140 $4,367,318 $417 $201
Ann Arbor 113,934 76,744,367 $227,233,000 $1,994 $246
Au Gres 889 $527,568 $774,591 $871 $179
Auburn Hills 21,412 24,924,132 $12,728,951 $594 $47
Bangor 1,885 835,202 $1,088,581 $577 $383
Battle Creek 52,347 43,264,011 $110,945,505 $2,119 $339
Bay City 34,932 20,965,355 $144,172,802 $4,127 $1,033
Bedford Township 31,085 5,261,615 $303,275 $10 $1
Belding 5,757 2,392,965 $849,573 $148 $28
Belleville 3,991 2,404,128 $6,122,439 $1,534 $239
Benton Charter Township 14,749 8,483,856 $8,336,258 $565 $109
Berkley 14,970 9,189,384 $25,959,598 $1,734 $349
Beverly Hills Village 10,267 6,652,522 $15,619,138 $1,521 $179
Birmingham 20,103 26,057,791 $46,959,502 $2,336 $102
Blackman Charter Township 24,051 2,354,884 $7,875,671 $327 $127
Bloomfield Charter Township 41,070 37,242,298 $116,525,989 $2,837 $197
Bloomfield Hills 3,869 8,838,292 $23,301,774 $6,023 $116
Boyne City 3,735 3,703,206 $1,991,356 $533 $55
Brandon Charter Township 13,733 3,239,895 $4,745,796 $346 $59
Bridgeport Charter Township 10,514 2,301,325 $2,726,947 $259 $73
Brighton 7,444 7,933,648 $18,630,363 $2,503 $201
Brooklyn Village 1,206 488,232 $493,020 $409 $87
Brownstown Charter Township 30,627 16,985,674 $30,797,656 $1,006 $222
Bruce Township 6,947 1,798,297 $6,901,466 $993 $100
Buena Vista Charter Township 8,676 5,209,326 $4,511,833 $520 $83
Burton 29,999 7,739,779 $37,905,620 $1,264 $177
Cadillac 10,355 7,340,547 $5,243,175 $506 $195
Canton Charter Township 90,173 55,086,954 $96,711,391 $1,073 $110
Capac Village 1,890 700,075 $2,773,052 $1,467 $189
Center Line 8,257 7,867,568 $54,045,925 $6,545 $904
Charlotte 9,074 4,900,457 $11,257,728 $1,241 $154
Cheboygan 4,867 2,303,102 $4,034,559 $829 $121
Chelsea 4,944 4,024,716 $10,357,459 $2,095 $238
Chesterfield Township 43,381 19,243,998 $18,194,939 $419 $68
Clawson 11,825 6,759,628 $21,788,770 $1,843 $291
Clay Township 9,066 3,936,720 $7,001,633 $772 $125
Clinton Charter Township 96,796 46,931,265 $79,491,659 $821 $153
Clio 2,646 1,185,819 $1,717,603 $649 $329
Coleman 1,243 551,645 $835,150 $672 $249
Cooper Charter Township 10,111 1,223,547 $502,399 $50 $15
Corunna 3,497 1,625,580 $3,204,830 $916 $301
Croswell 2,447 1,205,297 $4,802,948 $1,963 $435
Crystal Falls 1,469 966,698 $6,222,212 $4,236 $865
Davison 5,173 2,194,268 $12,061,222 $2,332 $572
Davison Township 19,575 5,597,261 $5,717,508 $292 $63
Dearborn 98,153 94,816,168 $203,779,109 $2,076 $345
Dearborn Heights 57,774 31,854,617 $137,183,442 $2,374 $497
Delhi Charter Township 25,877 10,453,055 $3,114,930 $120 $27
Delta Charter Township 32,408 11,504,986 $10,615,989 $328 $36
Detroit 713,777 1,220,258,093 $5,586,937,313 $7,827 $2,512
DeWitt 4,507 2,781,518 $7,592,480 $1,685 $364
Dexter Village 4,067 2,958,938 $2,329,640 $573 $73
Dowagiac 5,879 3,243,048 $8,367,406 $1,423 $341
Durand 3,446 1,861,156 $4,357,485 $1,265 $242
East China Township 3,788 1,687,178 $4,234,388 $1,118 $30
East Grand Rapids 10,694 10,055,332 $8,409,915 $786 $81
East Lansing 48,579 34,032,643 $89,217,993 $1,837 $478
Eastpointe 32,442 19,730,526 $58,201,645 $1,794 $467
Eaton Rapids 5,214 1,716,244 $16,066,244 $3,081 $655
Ecorse 9,512 14,605,614 $60,794,028 $6,391 $617
Egelston Township 9,909 1,910,436 $1,392,000 $140 $48
Essexville 3,478 1,225,204 $6,331,308 $1,820 $356
Farmington 10,372 7,903,041 $11,106,535 $1,071 $198
Farmington Hills 79,740 44,736,993 $57,752,770 $724 $99
Fenton 11,756 5,425,548 $14,422,421 $1,227 $145
Fenton Charter Township 15,552 3,205,657 $930,626 $60 $8
Ferndale 19,900 16,992,544 $30,956,872 $1,556 $320
Flat Rock 9,878 7,590,243 $22,238,482 $2,251 $220
Flint 102,434 67,173,919 $1,112,098,934 $10,857 $2,840
Flint Charter Township 31,929 11,201,677 $22,751,532 $713 $86
Flushing 8,389 3,869,085 $20,994,933 $2,503 $405
Flushing Charter Township 10,640 2,185,597 $3,241,119 $305 $40
Fort Gratiot Charter Township 11,108 2,952,928 $550,836 $50 $8
Frankenmuth 4,944 3,983,081 $2,828,903 $572 $57
Frankfort 1,286 1,437,734 $1,924,681 $1,497 $112
Franklin Village 3,150 1,933,163 $2,776,418 $881 $41
Fraser 14,480 13,363,743 $78,449,068 $5,418 $631
Fremont 4,081 3,047,212 $3,223,545 $790 $108
Frenchtown Township 20,428 8,558,927 $5,148,070 $252 $34
Fruitport Charter Township 12,505 2,987,639 $1,783,000 $143 $26
Garden City 27,692 18,409,603 $119,810,248 $4,327 $598
Garfield Charter Township 16,256 5,094,807 $187,767 $12 $1
Gaylord 3,645 2,596,868 $3,235,637 $888 $106
Genesee Charter Township 21,581 6,053,237 $6,932,093 $321 $232
Gibraltar 4,656 3,146,715 $9,782,937 $2,101 $259
Gladstone 4,973 2,308,191 $9,457,601 $1,902 $413
Grand Blanc 8,276 3,735,934 $5,100,103 $616 $93
Grand Blanc Charter Township 37,508 12,982,396 $16,098,638 $429 $74
Grand Haven 10,412 11,300,814 $6,361,420 $611 $141
Grand Haven Charter Township 15,178 3,751,938 $191,727 $13 $1
Grand Ledge 7,786 2,662,023 $1,876,927 $241 $39
Grand Rapids 188,040 102,210,726 $325,040,512 $1,729 $270
Grandville 15,378 8,757,809 $6,712,893 $437 $71
Green Oak Township 17,476 4,915,482 $2,958,076 $169 not available
Grosse Ile Township 10,371 7,156,243 $27,616,536 $2,663 $160
Grosse Pointe 5,421 5,568,968 $4,623,284 $853 $83
Grosse Pointe Farms 9,479 12,491,919 $28,145,284 $2,969 $213
Grosse Pointe Park 11,555 10,152,770 $21,261,895 $1,840 $130
Grosse Pointe Woods 16,135 12,445,371 $64,533,150 $4,000 $440
Groveland Township 5,476 2,561,100 $613,347 $112 $21
Hampton Charter Township 9,652 4,221,866 $7,153,181 $741 $55
Hamtramck 22,423 17,308,211 $86,259,760 $3,847 $1,105
Harbor Beach 1,703 2,044,156 $1,146,832 $673 $74
Harbor Springs 1,194 2,069,832 $2,832,300 $2,372 $71
Harper Woods 14,236 9,459,911 $69,233,594 $4,863 $675
Harrison Charter Township 24,587 9,133,080 $49,809,176 $2,026 $163
Hart 2,126 1,270,636 $3,374,984 $1,587 $347
Hastings 7,350 4,984,282 $19,217,332 $2,615 $424
Hazel Park 16,422 14,387,222 $81,160,555 $4,942 $1,225
Highland Charter Township 19,202 5,657,574 $1,700,747 $89 $11
Highland Park 11,776 12,087,629 $39,562,184 $3,360 $1,109
Holland 33,051 16,200,357 $35,541,895 $1,075 $161
Holland Charter Township 35,636 10,983,627 $374,568 $11 $87
Holly Village 6,086 2,819,814 $4,200,251 $690 $119
Houghton 7,708 3,266,857 $824,068 $107 $44
Howell 9,489 6,838,779 $15,510,767 $1,635 $184
Huntington Woods 6,238 6,404,088 $18,251,925 $2,926 $232
Huron Charter Township 15,879 7,727,116 $18,876,861 $1,189 $173
Imlay City 3,597 2,365,255 $1,706,995 $475 $96
Independence Charter Township 34,681 17,145,813 $7,090,420 $204 $28
Inkster 25,369 16,513,401 $34,127,943 $1,345 $566
Iron Mountain 7,624 5,883,435 $34,453,497 $4,519 $506
Jackson 33,534 21,286,101 $77,684,772 $2,317 $482
Kalamazoo 74,262 54,823,297 $134,052,705 $1,805 $695
Kalamazoo Charter Township 21,918 7,018,007 $6,432,195 $293 $84
Kalkaska Village 2,020 823,417 $7,795,847 $3,859 $532
Keego Harbor 2,970 2,369,894 $1,843,182 $621 $84
Kentwood 48,707 17,567,321 $3,128,906 $64 $35
Lake Orion Village 2,973 2,204,247 $3,431,206 $1,154 $124
Laketon Township 7,563 1,411,198 $633,000 $84 $19
Lansing 114,297 107,585,783 $502,405,000 $4,396 $866
Lansing Charter Township 8,126 3,917,893 $7,352,882 $905 $150
Lapeer 8,841 7,298,803 $24,599,041 $2,782 $514
Lathrup Village 4,075 3,760,061 $7,941,698 $1,949 $249
Leoni Township 13,807 1,793,197 $1,358,117 $98 $21
Lexington Village 1,178 801,062 $1,991,328 $1,690 $200
Lincoln Park 38,144 23,696,056 $167,268,790 $4,385 $808
Linden 3,991 2,057,331 $1,128,873 $283 $62
Livonia 96,942 46,845,189 $84,033,000 $867 $76
Long Lake Township 8,662 1,663,886 $179,764 $21 $2
Lowell 3,783 2,369,131 $4,577,217 $1,210 $183
Ludington 8,076 5,436,619 $6,476,753 $802 $150
Luna Pier 1,436 1,336,741 $4,562,755 $3,177 $117
Lyon Charter Township 14,545 4,118,102 $936,957 $64 $10
Mackinaw City Village 806 1,649,030 $285,869 $355 $23
Macomb Township 79,580 14,069,695 $6,412,735 $81 $24
Madison Heights 29,694 25,286,081 $64,653,736 $2,177 $258
Manchester Village 2,091 1,215,791 $92,709 $44 $11
Manistique 3,097 2,169,794 $8,217,144 $2,653 $518
Marine City 4,248 3,092,248 $6,930,000 $1,631 $203
Marquette 21,355 17,137,992 $32,712,852 $1,532 $254
Marshall 7,088 4,975,433 $18,217,282 $2,570 $248
Marysville 9,959 7,832,727 $20,896,803 $2,098 $281
Mason 8,252 5,022,168 $5,252,675 $637 $87
Melvindale 10,715 9,490,666 $79,462,584 $7,416 $1,149
Meridian Charter Township 39,688 17,346,633 $23,265,682 $586 $73
Middleville Village 3,319 1,005,159 $452,597 $136 $40
Midland 41,863 36,423,282 $114,392,159 $2,733 $272
Milan 5,836 4,170,601 $9,079,861 $1,556 $321
Milford Charter Township 9,561 6,567,787 $1,071,192 $112 $9
Milford Village 6,175 5,438,606 $4,685,655 $759 $99
Monroe 20,733 15,761,467 $36,133,137 $1,743 $337
Montague 2,361 1,555,587 $2,463,000 $1,043 $148
Montrose 1,657 795,040 $1,884,877 $1,138 $354
Morton Township 3,854 891,868 $263,140 $68 $9
Mount Clemens 16,314 8,877,989 $47,276,893 $2,898 $4,608
Mount Morris 3,086 1,556,460 $5,089,084 $1,649 $52
Mount Morris Township 21,501 6,093,730 $29,462,448 $1,370 $365
Mount Pleasant 26,016 11,566,955 $8,217,815 $316 $186
Mundy Township 15,082 5,363,857 $3,386,854 $225 $40
Muskegon 38,401 24,027,329 $10,345,000 $269 $159
Muskegon Charter Township 17,840 4,798,967 $8,535,000 $478 $133
Muskegon Heights 10,856 6,056,719 $18,566,120 $1,710 $581
New Baltimore 12,084 5,649,936 $9,883,508 $818 $179
Newberry Village 1,519 1,075,207 $3,131,807 $2,062 $761
Niles 11,600 5,682,970 $5,939,986 $512 $169
North Muskegon 3,786 2,152,995 $3,855,000 $1,018 $144
Northville 5,970 6,025,013 $23,376,023 $3,916 $362
Northville Township 28,497 16,128,750 $7,098,236 $249 $41
Norton Shores 23,994 8,493,671 $51,381,043 $2,141 $214
Norway 2,845 2,249,578 $8,507,667 $2,990 $585
Novi 55,224 24,475,135 $32,031,753 $580 $62
Oak Park 29,319 18,877,484 $125,209,460 $4,271 $690
Orchard Lake Village 2,375 2,166,584 $1,737,144 $731 $34
Oshtemo Charter Township 21,705 5,426,883 $738,887 $34 $5
Otsego 3,956 2,030,884 $157,689 $40 $-
Owosso 15,194 6,281,281 $890,279 $59 $77
Oxford Charter Township 17,090 3,930,193 $1,516,806 $89 $16
Parchment 1,804 2,405,930 $807,991 $448 $68
Park Township 17,802 3,143,866 $163,644 $9 $2
Pentwater Village 857 1,106,689 $1,056,744 $1,233 $72
Perry 2,188 1,114,225 $1,493,101 $682 $219
Petoskey 5,670 5,850,653 $3,161,613 $558 $64
Pittsfield Charter Township 34,663 14,550,209 $10,499,548 $303 $40
Plainfield Charter Township 30,952 7,882,013 $3,275,688 $106 $15
Plainwell 3,804 2,080,503 $1,100,312 $289 $49
Pleasant Ridge 2,526 2,367,114 $5,559,291 $2,201 $181
Plymouth 9,132 7,025,784 $21,570,784 $2,362 $203
Plymouth Charter Township 27,524 12,599,102 $23,739,797 $863 $60
Pontiac 59,515 35,632,707 $181,514,825 $3,050 $807
Port Huron 30,184 21,274,398 $85,479,000 $2,832 $461
Port Huron Charter Township 10,654 2,588,490 $928,664 $87 $24
Portage 46,292 22,725,014 $(1,050,900) $(23) $2
Portland 3,883 2,133,904 $8,696,032 $2,240 $440
Raisinville Township 5,816 756,068 $200,334 $34 $6
Redford Charter Township 48,362 26,905,615 $150,273,416 $3,107 $515
Richfield Township 8,730 2,026,993 $1,960,517 $225 $27
Richland Township 4,144 1,077,194 $2,284,406 $551 $78
River Rouge 7,903 10,360,484 $88,923,694 $11,252 $1,183
Riverview 12,486 7,928,388 $42,534,763 $3,407 $594
Rochester 12,711 9,857,756 $5,185,413 $408 $53
Rochester Hills 70,995 24,947,927 $1,436,359 $20 $2
Rockwood 3,289 2,397,584 $4,440,899 $1,350 $297
Rogers City 2,827 1,794,456 $4,297,132 $1,520 $233
Romeo Village 3,596 2,901,989 $7,140,380 $1,986 $184
Romulus 23,989 17,429,793 $67,582,532 $2,817 $218
Roosevelt Park 3,831 2,232,066 $1,901,000 $496 $95
Rose Township 6,250 1,261,950 $35,888 $6 not available
Roseville 47,299 36,016,156 $110,169,799 $2,329 $393
Royal Oak 57,236 31,815,268 $158,465,000 $2,769 $419
Saginaw 51,508 33,318,277 $311,646,267 $6,050 $2,346
Saginaw Charter Township 40,840 12,344,364 $10,893,313 $267 $39
Saline 8,810 7,478,253 $12,834,450 $1,457 $160
Sandusky 2,679 1,841,253 $2,109,795 $788 $136
Scio Township 16,470 4,004,616 $1,220,224 $74 $8
Shelby Charter Township 73,804 45,093,402 $96,325,039 $1,305 $184
South Haven 4,403 5,590,959 $218,166 $50 $28
South Lyon 11,327 4,903,081 $3,452,502 $305 $69
Southfield 71,739 56,989,174 $206,168,452 $2,874 $263
Southfield Township 19 640,368 $37,316 $1,964 $1
Southgate 30,047 19,348,588 $80,418,790 $2,676 $436
Sparta Village 4,140 1,568,389 $1,833,924 $443 $68
Spring Lake Township 11,977 2,053,376 $803,663 $67 $4
Spring Lake Village 2,323 1,831,225 $1,082,064 $466 $56
Springfield 5,260 2,136,487 $3,185,886 $606 $200
Springfield Charter Township 13,940 4,084,561 $- $- $-
St. Charles Village 2,054 859,176 $1,948,246 $949 $236
St. Clair 5,485 4,038,941 $9,839,972 $1,794 $197
St. Clair Shores 59,715 38,755,777 $144,047,857 $2,412 $380
St. Ignace 2,452 1,784,677 $4,831,272 $1,970 $276
Sterling Heights 129,699 85,942,718 $192,542,086 $1,485 $207
Sturgis 10,994 7,126,652 $17,088,388 $1,554 $533
Summit Township 22,508 3,257,520 $6,018,927 $267 $52
Swartz Creek 5,758 1,769,508 $1,963,846 $341 $2
Sylvan Lake 1,720 1,388,758 $1,787,317 $1,039 $78
Taylor 63,131 51,147,197 $276,925,086 $4,387 $680
Tecumseh 8,521 5,022,791 $3,483,039 $409 $101
Thetford Township 7,049 1,211,564 $1,908,409 $271 $96
Three Rivers 7,811 4,014,151 $3,131,493 $401 $93
Tittabawassee Township 9,726 1,868,728 $(7,045) $(1) $8
Traverse City 14,674 12,843,413 $33,167,749 $2,260 $219
Trenton 18,853 18,528,399 $62,761,534 $3,329 $353
Troy 80,980 50,830,129 $42,639,000 $527 $68
Union City Village 1,599 435,923 $1,291,327 $808 $284
Utica 4,757 5,940,701 $5,993,608 $1,260 $164
Van Buren Charter Township 28,821 12,646,838 $18,430,381 $639 $116
Vassar 2,697 1,568,949 $1,777,929 $659 $168
Vienna Charter Township 13,255 2,961,875 $1,640,729 $124 $32
Village of Grosse Pointe Shores 3,008 5,487,046 $9,521,689 $3,165 $192
Wakefield 1,851 1,078,934 $1,688,831 $912 $260
Walker 23,537 12,687,287 $12,628,108 $537 $64
Walled Lake 6,999 5,192,533 $9,943,840 $1,421 $170
Warren 134,056 87,767,342 $414,548,667 $3,092 $362
Washington Township 23,296 6,373,209 $(135,023) $(6) $0
Waterford Charter Township 71,707 34,231,583 $186,695,861 $2,604 $323
Wayne 17,593 17,410,951 $57,574,033 $3,273 $538
West Bloomfield Charter Township 64,690 34,017,858 $62,045,747 $959 $129
West Branch 2,139 1,440,444 $917,376 $429 $100
Westland 84,094 50,840,181 $228,793,659 $2,721 $425
White Lake Charter Township 30,019 11,118,361 $13,178,540 $439 $74
Whitehall 2,706 1,991,070 $1,226,375 $453 $88
Williamston 3,854 2,681,096 $2,758,212 $716 $68
Wixom 13,498 8,303,744 $11,393,235 $844 $102
Wolverine Lake Village 4,312 2,278,617 $1,439,796 $334 $27
Woodhaven 12,875 12,368,184 $31,021,119 $2,409 $262
Wyandotte 25,883 22,733,669 $90,126,856 $3,482 $740
Wyoming 72,125 24,770,277 $58,535,137 $812 $211
Ypsilanti 19,435 13,161,672 $13,580,372 $699 $304
Ypsilanti Charter Township 53,362 12,513,893 $20,171,705 $378 $87
Zeeland 5,504 5,826,488 $3,178,735 $578 $99

Source: “Funding the Legacy: The Cost of Municipal Workers’ Retirement Benefits to Michigan Communities,” (March 2013), by the Michigan State University Extension. Principal author Eric Scorsone provided spreadsheets and data used to create this searchable database.

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