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City of Walker

Kent County

City of Walker is a city in Kent County, Michigan. In 2025, primary homes here pay a total of 27.51–33.73 mills in property tax, depending on the school district; rentals, second homes and businesses pay 45.51–51.73 mills. It levied property tax in 3 tax areas in 2025. In fiscal year 2025 it reported $78.3 million in spending across all its funds. It has 25 boards and sub-entities.

Total property tax rate, primary homes

27.51–33.73

mills in 2025 · 3 tax areas · about $4,475–$5,488 a year on a median home (estimate)

Total property tax rate, rentals, second homes and businesses

45.51–51.73

mills in 2025 · includes the school operating tax

Levies, 2025

1

in 3 tax areas

Boards and sub-entities

25

Total property tax rates here, 2025

What property pays to every taxing body (the State, county, schools, local government and others), by tax area. A mill is $1 of tax per $1,000 of taxable value.

Compare with every tax area in Kent County →

School district Primary homes mills Median home est. yearly tax Rentals, second homes and businesses mills
Comstock Park Public Schools 33.7310 $5,488 51.7310
Grandville Public Schools 29.2356 $4,757 47.2356
Kenowa Hills Public Schools 27.5054 $4,475 45.5054

Rates differ within the City of Walker because parts of it are in different school districts (Comstock Park Public Schools, Grandville Public Schools and Kenowa Hills Public Schools).

Kent County's certified rates split each area's total between a summer and a winter tax bill; open an area below to see its split.

Primary homes, which their owners live in, pay the homestead rate; so do qualified farmland and a few other kinds of property exempt from the school operating tax. Rentals, second homes and most businesses pay the non-homestead rate, which includes it. What these terms mean

Median home, estimated: the yearly tax a new buyer would pay on a primary home at Kent County's median value, $325,400 (Census Bureau, 2024): half the value times the mills, divided by 1,000. An estimate, not a bill. How the estimate works

Every levy, by tax area

Comstock Park Public Schools · 33.7310 primary homes, 51.7310 other

Billed in 2 parts, in mills: primary homes summer 30.7046, winter 3.0264; rentals, second homes and businesses summer 48.7046, winter 3.0264.

Levy Levied by Primary homes mills Median home est. yearly tax Rentals, second homes and businesses mills
School Debt Comstock Park Public Schools 9.9500 $1,619 9.9500
State Education Tax State of Michigan 6.0000 $976 6.0000
ISD Voted Special Education Kent ISD 4.3364 $706 4.3364
County Allocated Operating Kent County 4.0605 $661 4.0605
Community College Grand Rapids Community College 1.6793 $273 1.6793
Interurban Transit Partnership Interurban Transit Partnership 1.3817 $225 1.3817
Allocated or Charter Operating City of Walker 1.3360 $217 1.3360
Library Kent District Library 1.0832 $176 1.0832
Building and Site Comstock Park Public Schools 0.9456 $154 0.9456
ISD Voted Vocational Education Kent ISD 0.9310 $151 0.9310
Jail Kent County 0.7417 $121 0.7417
Senior Citizens Kent County 0.4914 $80 0.4914
Zoo and Museum Kent County 0.4134 $67 0.4134
Ready by Five Kent County 0.2476 $40 0.2476
ISD Allocated Operating Kent ISD 0.0841 $14 0.0841
Veterans Kent County 0.0491 $8 0.0491
School Operating (Non-Homestead) Comstock Park Public Schools 0.0000 $0 18.0000
Grandville Public Schools · 29.2356 primary homes, 47.2356 other

Billed in 2 parts, in mills: primary homes summer 26.2092, winter 3.0264; rentals, second homes and businesses summer 44.2092, winter 3.0264.

Levy Levied by Primary homes mills Median home est. yearly tax Rentals, second homes and businesses mills
State Education Tax State of Michigan 6.0000 $976 6.0000
School Debt Grandville Public Schools 5.0500 $822 5.0500
ISD Voted Special Education Kent ISD 4.3364 $706 4.3364
County Allocated Operating Kent County 4.0605 $661 4.0605
Community College Grand Rapids Community College 1.6793 $273 1.6793
Interurban Transit Partnership Interurban Transit Partnership 1.3817 $225 1.3817
Building and Site Grandville Public Schools 1.3502 $220 1.3502
Allocated or Charter Operating City of Walker 1.3360 $217 1.3360
Library Kent District Library 1.0832 $176 1.0832
ISD Voted Vocational Education Kent ISD 0.9310 $151 0.9310
Jail Kent County 0.7417 $121 0.7417
Senior Citizens Kent County 0.4914 $80 0.4914
Zoo and Museum Kent County 0.4134 $67 0.4134
Ready by Five Kent County 0.2476 $40 0.2476
ISD Allocated Operating Kent ISD 0.0841 $14 0.0841
Veterans Kent County 0.0491 $8 0.0491
School Operating (Non-Homestead) Grandville Public Schools 0.0000 $0 18.0000
Kenowa Hills Public Schools · 27.5054 primary homes, 45.5054 other

Billed in 2 parts, in mills: primary homes summer 24.4790, winter 3.0264; rentals, second homes and businesses summer 42.4790, winter 3.0264.

Levy Levied by Primary homes mills Median home est. yearly tax Rentals, second homes and businesses mills
State Education Tax State of Michigan 6.0000 $976 6.0000
School Debt Kenowa Hills Public Schools 4.6700 $760 4.6700
ISD Voted Special Education Kent ISD 4.3364 $706 4.3364
County Allocated Operating Kent County 4.0605 $661 4.0605
Community College Grand Rapids Community College 1.6793 $273 1.6793
Interurban Transit Partnership Interurban Transit Partnership 1.3817 $225 1.3817
Allocated or Charter Operating City of Walker 1.3360 $217 1.3360
Library Kent District Library 1.0832 $176 1.0832
ISD Voted Vocational Education Kent ISD 0.9310 $151 0.9310
Jail Kent County 0.7417 $121 0.7417
Senior Citizens Kent County 0.4914 $80 0.4914
Zoo and Museum Kent County 0.4134 $67 0.4134
Ready by Five Kent County 0.2476 $40 0.2476
ISD Allocated Operating Kent ISD 0.0841 $14 0.0841
Veterans Kent County 0.0491 $8 0.0491
School Operating (Non-Homestead) Kenowa Hills Public Schools 0.0000 $0 18.0000

Where the property tax goes here

Each tax area's total for primary homes, split by who levies it.

Of the $4,475–$5,488 a year a new buyer of a median primary home here would pay (an estimate), about $217 goes to the City of Walker (4–5%). The rest goes to the other bodies that levy here: the State, the county, the schools and others.

The City of Walker's 3 tax areas rank 32nd, 72nd and 85th highest of Kent County's 94 for primary homes. See every area

  • State
  • County
  • ISD and college
  • School district
  • City, township or village
  • Library, transit and other
  • City of Walker Comstock Park Public Schools 33.7310 mills $5,488

    City of Walker with Comstock Park Public Schools: 33.7310 mills in total (State 6.0000, County 6.0037, ISD and college 7.0308, School district 10.8956, City, township or village 1.3360, Library, transit and other 2.4649), estimated $5,488 a year for a new buyer

  • City of Walker Grandville Public Schools 29.2356 mills $4,757

    City of Walker with Grandville Public Schools: 29.2356 mills in total (State 6.0000, County 6.0037, ISD and college 7.0308, School district 6.4002, City, township or village 1.3360, Library, transit and other 2.4649), estimated $4,757 a year for a new buyer

  • City of Walker Kenowa Hills Public Schools 27.5054 mills $4,475

    City of Walker with Kenowa Hills Public Schools: 27.5054 mills in total (State 6.0000, County 6.0037, ISD and college 7.0308, School district 4.6700, City, township or village 1.3360, Library, transit and other 2.4649), estimated $4,475 a year for a new buyer

The figures as a table
Tax area State County ISD and college School district City, township or village Library, transit and other Total Estimated tax
City of Walker, Comstock Park Public Schools 6.0000 6.0037 7.0308 10.8956 1.3360 2.4649 33.7310 $5,488
City of Walker, Grandville Public Schools 6.0000 6.0037 7.0308 6.4002 1.3360 2.4649 29.2356 $4,757
City of Walker, Kenowa Hills Public Schools 6.0000 6.0037 7.0308 4.6700 1.3360 2.4649 27.5054 $4,475

Median home, estimated: the yearly tax a new buyer would pay on a primary home at Kent County's median value, $325,400 (Census Bureau, 2024): half the value times the mills, divided by 1,000. An estimate, not a bill. How the estimate works

What City of Walker levies, 2025

Only its own millages, part of the totals above, and how many tax areas each is levied in.

Levy Primary homes mills Median home est. yearly tax Rentals, second homes and businesses mills Tax areas
Allocated or Charter Operating 1.3360 $217 1.3360 3

Median home, estimated: the yearly tax a new buyer would pay on a primary home at Kent County's median value, $325,400 (Census Bureau, 2024): half the value times the mills, divided by 1,000. An estimate, not a bill. How the estimate works

Money in and out, fiscal year 2025

From its annual financial report, as filed with the Michigan Department of Treasury. Its fiscal year ends in June.

Revenue

$94.4M

all funds

Spending

$78.3M

all funds

Spending per resident

$3,019

2024 population: 25,921

General fund spending

$29.2M

budget: $30.7M

Spending by purpose

All funds. Share of $78,265,042 in total.

  • Public works $39,854,395 51%
    Public Works (Non-Act 51) $2,316,415
    Road Commission/Street Dept. (Act 51) $36,337,020
    All Other Public Works $1,200,960
  • Public safety $11,947,268 15%
    Police/Sheriff/Constable $8,356,559
    Fire $2,565,813
    Building Inspection & Regulation Activities $951,981
    All Other Public Safety Activities $72,915
  • General government $6,304,636 8%
    Legislative (Council, Board, Commission) $135,082
    Chief Executive $593,805
    Treasurer $405,005
    Clerk $286,942
    Assessing Equalization $436,333
    Finance and Tax Administration $571,603
    Elections $101,448
    Building and Grounds $2,330,302
    All Other General Government $1,444,116
  • Recreation and culture $5,498,338 7%
    Parks and Recreation $746,250
    Library $2,609,516
    All Other Recreation and Culture $2,142,572
  • Capital outlay, debt service and other $3,464,171 4%
    Miscellaneous $2,194,584
    Debt Service $268,336
    Depreciation $1,001,251
  • Community and economic development $1,729,387 2%
    Community Planning and Zoning $8,872
    All Other Community Development $1,720,515
  • Courts and judicial $961,167 1%
    District/Municipal Court $961,167
  • Transfers out and special items $8,505,680 11%
    Transfers (Out) $8,505,680

Revenue by source

All funds. Share of $94,407,376 in total.

  • State grants $32,966,830 35%
    State Revenue Sharing $2,851,546
    Public Safety $111,000
    Streets and Highways (Act 51) $4,772,453
    Streets and Highways (Non-Act 51) $25,160,209
    Other General/All Other State Aid Grants $71,622
  • Taxes $20,970,673 22%
    Payment in-Lieu-of Taxes (PILOT) $1,286
    Income Tax $17,290,023
    Property Tax (includes, delinquent taxes, penalties, interest, fees, community wide special assessments) $3,679,364
  • Charges for services $4,067,592 4%
    All Other Services Rendered Charges $3,792,845
    All Other Statutory Fees $274,747
  • Interest and rents $1,886,054 2%
    Interest & Dividends $1,874,004
    Rents & Royalties $12,050
  • Federal grants $1,809,549 2%
    General Government $1,798,656
    Public Safety $10,893
  • From other local governments $1,473,293 2%
    General Government $277,397
    Public Safety $15,886
    Street and Highways $1,180,010
  • Licenses and permits $722,227 1%
    Business Licenses and Permits $63,296
    Non-Business Licenses and Permits $658,931
  • Fines and forfeits $607,466 1%
    All Fines, Penalties & Forfeits $607,466
  • Other revenue $390,812 <1%
    Reimbursements $44,875
    Sale of Capital Assets $145,705
    Public and Private Contributions $28,843
    Miscellaneous Other Revenue $171,389
  • Special assessments $140,918 <1%
    Special Assessments $140,918
  • Borrowing and transfers in $29,371,962 31%
    Proceeds from Bond/Note Issuance $20,866,282
    Transfers In $8,505,680

"All funds" is the report's total column: the general fund, other governmental funds, enterprise funds such as water and sewer, internal service funds and component units. Its totals include money moved between the government's own funds, and revenue includes money borrowed. Spending per resident is total spending divided by the population shown; the shares are each heading's part of its total. Open a heading to see the lines filed under it.

Population: DashBoard_Metrics (MI Community Financial Dashboard), Michigan Department of Treasury.

Source: FY2025 F65 City, Michigan Department of Treasury, retrieved November 3, 2026.

Revenue and spending, fiscal years 2016–2025

All funds, as filed each year.

Revenue Spending
The figures as a table
Fiscal year Revenue Spending General fund spending Long-term debt
2025 $94,407,376 $78,265,042 $29,201,391 $19,682,194
2024 $39,398,996 $32,212,774 $22,143,584 $90,415
2023 $38,828,738 $29,887,362 $21,300,646 $143,529
2022 $32,358,207 $25,923,221 $18,061,816 $657,293
2021 $31,075,868 $28,284,005 $18,776,305 $1,492,757
2020 $28,789,871 $26,783,448 $18,342,286 $2,017,987
2019 $29,026,295 $27,479,812 $18,200,706 $1,766,074
2018 $27,925,431 $27,250,136 $17,745,910 $2,948,162
2017 $30,044,177 $29,335,832 $17,234,845 $4,543,834
2016 $25,379,061 $23,922,449 $16,687,383 $6,352,667

Each year links to the dataset it comes from. A year with dashes across has no report in the State's data.

Debt, pensions and staff, fiscal year 2025

As reported in the same filing.

Debt and fund balance

Long-term debt at year end
$19,682,194
General fund balance at year end
$21,497,191
Of which unassigned
$16,594,459

Pensions and retiree health care

Unfunded pension liability
$4,587,408
Pension funded, general employees
84.4%
Pension funded, police and fire
—
Unfunded retiree health care (OPEB)
$1,762,789

Staff

Police
46
Fire
30
Combined public safety
—
All other staff
152
Wages and salaries
$10,260,520

City income tax collected

From residents
$8,771,580
From nonresidents
$5,376,129
Other collections
$3,142,314

A dash means the State's data has no figure for that line. Its datasets leave out zero amounts in most years, so a dash can also be a zero that was filed. The unfunded pension liability is the filing's "aggregate pension liability" line.

Source: FY2025 F65 City, Michigan Department of Treasury, retrieved November 3, 2026.

Boards and sub-entities

Authorities and special districts

Boards, commissions and committees

Transparency checks

What this body files with the State and posts online, checked against the law and good practice.

Grade pending

A grade appears once every check below has been read and the site has set its grading scale. Every check counts the same.

Required by law

6 found · 1 not found

  • Found: Audit filed with the State for the latest fiscal year

    Treasury's Document Search shows the audit for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 as received, sent November 2, 2025.

    Uniform Budgeting and Accounting Act, MCL 141.421 et seq.; MCL 141.921 · FY2025 · Read September 27, 2026 from State records · Evidence for Audit filed with the State for the latest fiscal year

  • Found: Audit filed on time

    Sent November 2, 2025, within six months of the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 (due December 31, 2025; fiscal year end from its F-65).

    Due six months after fiscal year end; MCL 141.921 · FY2025 · Read September 27, 2026 from State records · Evidence for Audit filed on time

  • Found: Annual financial report (F-65) filed with the State

    Treasury's Document Search shows the annual financial report (F-65) for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 as received, sent November 2, 2025.

    MCL 141.424(3) · FY2025 · Read September 27, 2026 from State records · Evidence for Annual financial report (F-65) filed with the State

  • Found: Annual financial report (F-65) filed on time

    Sent November 2, 2025, within six months of the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 (due December 31, 2025; fiscal year end from its F-65).

    Due six months after fiscal year end; MCL 141.424(3) · FY2025 · Read September 27, 2026 from State records · Evidence for Annual financial report (F-65) filed on time

  • Found: Retirement report (Form 5572) filed with the State

    Treasury's FY2025 status report (as of September 18, 2026) does not list it as "No Retirement Submission".

    PA 202 of 2017, MCL 38.2805 · FY2025 · Read September 26, 2026 from State records · Evidence for Retirement report (Form 5572) filed with the State

  • Found: FOIA procedures and written public summary posted

    The FOIA page (the homepage has no FOIA link; found through the site search) links "City of Walker's FOIA Policy Procedures and Guidelines" (/DocumentCenter/View/772) and "Written Public Summary of FOIA Procedures and Guidelines" (/DocumentCenter/View/771). The page was located through the site search at /Search, which the site's robots.txt disallows for automated readers; see the research note.

    MCL 15.234(4) · Read September 27, 2026 on its website · Evidence for FOIA procedures and written public summary posted

  • Not found: Retirement report information posted

    No PA 202 report (Form 5572) or Treasury's summary of it was found on its finance, budget and transparency pages. The second reading (the site's sitemap, and the links on its home and finance pages) found none.

    MCL 38.2805(8) · FY2025 · Read September 27, 2026 on its website · Evidence for Retirement report information posted

Good practice

7 found · 5 not found

  • Found: Current budget posted

    Finance & Treasury > City Budgets & Audits posts "Budget for Fiscal Year End June 30, 2027" for the fiscal year in progress, with its budget presentation.

    Read September 27, 2026 on its website · Evidence for Current budget posted

  • Found: Budgets for the past three years posted

    City Budgets & Audits posts the budgets for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2026, 2025 and 2024 (and back to 2017).

    Read September 27, 2026 on its website · Evidence for Budgets for the past three years posted

  • Found: Latest audit posted

    City Budgets & Audits posts "Audit for Fiscal Year End June 30, 2025" and earlier audits.

    Read September 27, 2026 on its website · Evidence for Latest audit posted

  • Not found: Budget posted as a spreadsheet or data file

    The budgets on City Budgets & Audits are PDFs; no spreadsheet or data file was found.

    Read September 27, 2026 on its website · Evidence for Budget posted as a spreadsheet or data file

  • Found: Regular meeting schedule for the year posted

    The CivicWeb portal's City Commission page (linked from the homepage) says "Commission Meetings are held each month on the second and fourth Mondays at 6:30 pm." Read in the publisher's Chrome: the CivicWeb portal's robots.txt blocks automated readers.

    Read September 27, 2026 on its website, page by page · Evidence for Regular meeting schedule for the year posted

  • Found: Agendas posted for the past 12 months

    The CivicWeb portal lists City Commission meetings with agendas and agenda packets, the latest on September 28, 2026, and a history of earlier meetings. Read in the publisher's Chrome: the CivicWeb portal's robots.txt blocks automated readers.

    Read September 27, 2026 on its website, page by page · Evidence for Agendas posted for the past 12 months

  • Found: Minutes posted for the past 12 months

    The CivicWeb portal posts minutes for City Commission meetings, seen for June 22, 2026 (the two most recent months are not required). Read in the publisher's Chrome: the CivicWeb portal's robots.txt blocks automated readers.

    Read September 27, 2026 on its website, page by page · Evidence for Minutes posted for the past 12 months

  • Found: Members' names and a way to contact them posted

    Government lists the mayor, mayor pro tem and five ward commissioners, each with a page giving an email address and phone number.

    Read September 27, 2026 on its website · Evidence for Members' names and a way to contact them posted

  • Not found: Check register (payments) posted

    No check register or payments list was found on the Finance & Treasury or City Budgets & Audits pages.

    Read September 27, 2026 on its website · Evidence for Check register (payments) posted

  • Not found: Employee pay or salary schedule posted

    No salary schedule, pay ranges or pay by position was found on the Government, Departments, Employment Opportunities or Forms & Documents pages (the "Wage Allocation Letter" is an income tax form).

    Read September 27, 2026 on its website · Evidence for Employee pay or salary schedule posted

  • Not found: Current contracts posted

    No list of current contracts or contract in force was found; the contractor documents posted are registration forms.

    Read September 27, 2026 on its website · Evidence for Current contracts posted

  • Not found: Labor agreements posted

    Its FY2025 audit filed with Treasury distinguishes union and non-union employees in its pension notes; no labor agreement is posted on the city's site.

    Read September 27, 2026 from State records · Evidence for Labor agreements posted

About

Type
City

Codes

Census of Governments ID
128301
Census GEOID (county subdivision)
2608182960
Census GEOID (place)
2682960
Michigan Treasury unit code
412080

Sources

Where this page's facts come from.

Open Government Project · a nonpartisan, nonprofit project

Every figure comes from a public record, cited on its page.