How Sturgis is run
Who runs Sturgis, what it costs, and where your money goes
The city manager, council pay, the budget, your property tax bill and who provides each service, from Sturgis's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Sturgis
Sturgis has a commission-manager government. Voters elect a nine-member city commission, which picks one of its members as mayor each November. The commission sets policy and appoints the city manager, who carries it out with city staff.
What they are paid
Sturgis city staff
The budget shows wages by department but states no citywide head count. The pension plan covered 110 active employees on Sept. 30, 2025. Michigan has no statewide pay database. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Sturgis in the red?
Cities must pass a balanced budget, so "profit" and "deficit" mean something different here. The useful questions: does the city's everyday money (the general fund) cover its everyday costs, how much does it keep in savings compared with its own target, and how big are its pension and debt bills.
The city's own outlook
The FY2025-26 budget planned a $563,536 general fund deficit, covered by spending down fund balance. The city projected fund balance would still be 28.95% at year end, above its 25% target. We found no multi-year forecast. City of Sturgis · Aug 13, 2025
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $3.2M (2025-09-30). The city's own target: The budget names a targeted general fund balance of 25%. City of Sturgis · Mar 30, 2026
Why we skip the "budgeted deficit": many cities plan to dip into savings, then spend less than planned. The audited result tells you what really happened.
Where the money comes from and goes
The general fund only: the city's everyday money for FY2025-26.
Comes from
- Property taxes (incl. administration fee)$3.5M · 28%
- State sources (revenue sharing, marijuana tax, other state aid)$3.4M · 27%
- Payments in lieu of taxes (mostly from city utilities)$2M · 16%
- Charges to other city funds for administration$1.1M · 9%
- Transfer from the capital reserve fund$723,000 · 6%
- Interest income$350,000 · 3%
- Other (federal grants, licenses, fees, fines, other revenue)$668,975 · 5%
- Drawn from fund balance (budgeted spending above revenue)$563,536 · 5%
Goes to (FY2025-26)
- Police and fire$5.8M · 47%
- General government$1.9M · 15%
- Transfers to other funds (ambulance, arts center, cemetery, capital reserve and others)$1.7M · 14%
- Recreation and culture$808,488 · 7%
- Capital outlay$723,000 · 6%
- Public works$572,402 · 5%
- Health and welfare$553,313 · 4%
- Other (community development, debt service)$349,968 · 3%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Sturgis is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe citySturgis Police DepartmentCity of Sturgis · Aug 13, 2025
- FireThe citySturgis Fire DepartmentCity of Sturgis · Aug 13, 2025
- Ambulance (EMS)The citySturgis Fire DepartmentThe city started its own ambulance service in May 2022, replacing a contracted private service. The FY2025-26 budget covers part of its projected loss with a $300,000 general fund transfer.City of Sturgis · Aug 13, 2025
- ElectricityThe cityCity of Sturgis Electric FundCity of Sturgis · Mar 30, 2026
- WaterThe cityCity of Sturgis Water FundCity of Sturgis · Mar 30, 2026
- SewerThe cityCity of Sturgis Sanitary Sewer FundCity of Sturgis · Mar 30, 2026
- StreetsThe cityCity of Sturgis (Major and Local Street funds)City of Sturgis · Mar 30, 2026
- ParksThe cityCity of Sturgis Parks MaintenanceCity of Sturgis · Aug 13, 2025
- RecreationThe cityDoyle Community Center (city fund)City of Sturgis · Aug 13, 2025
Compared with similar cities
The cities in this state closest in population that we cover. Read it for scale, not as a ranking: cities provide different services.
| Per city | SturgisMI | NilesMI | WoodhavenMI | Sault Ste MarieMI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 10,900 | 11,665 | 12,503 | 13,083 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $128,000 |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $1,129 | $906 | $1,485 | $1,283 |
| Debt per resident | $857 | $368 | $360 | $1,729 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $-447 | $1,436 | $340 | $2,064 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | — | — | — | — |
Figures as shown in each city's section, divided by its population. Years differ by state, and pension figures are measured differently in each state (each city page says how).
What Sturgis publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Partly: Adopted budget posted onlineThe FY2025-26 budget is posted. The commission adopted the FY2026-27 budget on Aug. 12, 2026, but we found it not yet posted. City of Sturgis · Aug 13, 2025
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineMinutes record the interim manager's agreement approved July 8, 2026. We found no posted agreement or salary in the meeting packets. City of Sturgis · Jul 22, 2026
- No: Council pay stated in a public documentThe budget shows a $63,590 total for the City Commission. We found no ordinance or line stating each member's pay. City of Sturgis · Aug 13, 2025
- No: Employee pay publishedThe budget lists wage totals by department. We found no pay list by position. City of Sturgis · Aug 13, 2025
Questions to ask your council
- The FY2025-26 budget planned a $563,536 general fund deficit, and unassigned general fund balance was $3.15 million on Sept. 30, 2025. How large is the draw in the FY2026-27 budget, and when will it be posted?
- General fund transfers to other funds, including the city ambulance service started in 2022, total $1.66 million in the FY2025-26 budget. How will that support change in the coming years?
- An interim city manager has served since July 2026 under an agreement that is not posted. Will the commission post it, and what is the plan for a permanent hire?
The fiscal year starts Oct. 1. The city manager must submit a recommended budget by Aug. 1, and the commission must adopt it by Aug. 20 after a public hearing. For FY2026-27 the commission held budget work sessions on July 9 and July 15, 2026, then held the hearing and adopted the budget on Aug. 12, 2026. See who is running for council
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