What Garfield Township does

Garfield Township is a statutory unit of local government serving the communities of Engadine, Naubinway, and Gilchrist in western Mackinac County, Michigan, along six miles of Lake Michigan shoreline. It administers core municipal services for residents and visitors, including fire suppression across two fire stations, ambulance/EMS, zoning and building permitting, property assessment, property tax collection (collected via the Treasurer's office through cash, check, credit card, e-check, phone, online via BS&A Online, and night drop), cemetery maintenance, elections, marina operations (May 15 – September 15), and hall/pavilion rentals. Governance is provided by an elected Township Board (Supervisor Don Butkovich, Clerk Paula Fillman, Treasurer Sue Butkovich, and Trustees Matt Butkovich and Elmer Albright) supported by a Planning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, and Board of Review, with coordination from Mackinac County, the Michigan DNR, and the State of Michigan.

The township's revenue base is funded primarily by real and personal property taxes, supplemented by modest user fees from marina launch permits ($5 daily / $20 annual) and facility rentals. There is no proprietary technology product; service delivery relies on a municipal website, BS&A Online tax payment integration, and direct in-person/phone access at the Township Hall and auxiliary offices. Operating expenditures are augmented by one-time grants, including $114,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act (with $61,427 spent on fire signage and remaining funds allocated to Marina Road street lighting) and a $72,368 Community Energy Management Grant for LED conversion via Cloverland Electric.

The local economy has transitioned from commercial fishing, lumber, and agriculture (the latter still representing roughly 25 of 137 square miles and about 55% of Mackinac County farmland) toward recreation and tourism. The Hiawatha Sportsman's Club, a private organization with over 1,200 members controlling 35,000 acres — over 40% of total township land — is a defining feature of the area, alongside the Big Knob State Forest Campground, Karst geological areas, and inland Lake Michigan tributaries supporting angling, hunting, and snowmobiling.

Name

Garfield Township

Legal name

Garfield Township

Website

https://garfieldtwpmcmi.gov

Company type

Public

Founded year

1800

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Garfield Township is a Michigan local government entity administering municipal services — fire, EMS, zoning, property tax collection, and marina and cemetery operations — for residents and visitors across 137 square miles in Mackinac County along Lake Michigan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Government Administration

NAICS

Executive Offices (92111), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (92512), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Municipal Tax & Revenue Administration (Local) (BPAIACAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ)

Keywords

• Local government services
• Public safety services
• Municipal tax collection
• Zoning administration
• Emergency medical services

Headquarters

HQ city

Engadine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Tax Revenue: The township collects real and personal property taxes through the Treasurer's office, which forms the primary source of government funding for public services.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Garfield Township is a unit of local government in Mackinac County, Michigan that administers municipal services to its residents. It provides fire and emergency medical services, property tax collection, building and zoning administration, property assessing, cemetery maintenance, marina operations, hall rentals, library services, and general township governance through an elected Township Board.

Product overview

Garfield Township operates as a single unified municipal government providing core public services to residents in Mackinac County, Michigan. The township's service portfolio encompasses fire protection and emergency medical services (Ambulance Department, Fire Department), infrastructure (marina, cemeteries, hall rentals), land management (building/zoning permits, assessing), financial services (treasury/tax collection), and community services (library, newsletter). Online access is provided through the township website for news, documents, meeting minutes, and service information. The township also administers grant programs such as ARPA-funded infrastructure improvements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Township Government Services Core municipal government services including administration, ordinance compliance, maintenance, roads, tax collection, elections, and records management provided to residents of Garfield Township in Mackinac County, Michigan.
• Fire Department Services Fire suppression, emergency response, fire prevention, and rescue services provided by the Garfield Township Fire Department with two stations located in Naubinway and Engadine.
• Ambulance/Emergency Medical Services Emergency medical transport and ambulance services provided by Engadine EMS to Garfield Township residents and surrounding areas.
• Marina Services Boat launch, docking, and marina facilities at Naubinway operating May 15 through September 15 with daily and seasonal fee structures for boaters and anglers.
• Cemetery Services Maintenance and management of Engadine and Naubinway cemeteries within Garfield Township.
• Library Services Public library services provided through the Engadine Library, part of the Superior District Library system.
• Building & Zoning Permits Building permits, zoning permits, electrical permits, mechanical permits, plumbing permits, wetlands permits, flood elevation permits, and well/septic permits administered through the Building & Zoning department.
• Assessing Services Property assessment, valuation, tax calculations, Board of Review hearings, property exemptions, and parcel lookup services provided by the Township Assessor Janet Maki, MAAO.
• Treasury/Tax Collection Collection of real and personal property taxes; tax bill payments accepted via check, cash, credit card (3% fee), e-check ($3-$10 fee), phone, in-person, or night drop box, with online payment processing through BS&A Online.
• Hall & Pavilion Rental Rental of Township Hall in Engadine and Naubinway Pavilion for events and gatherings.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mackinac CountycoreOthersCoordination with Mackinac County for road maintenance, snow removal, property assessment equalization, health department services (well & septic permits), and county commissioner office hours held at township hall.
• Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR)coreOthersDNR Newberry Office handles wetlands permits. DNR Field Office located in Naubinway. State Forest Campground (Big Knob) managed in partnership with state. Burn permits administered through DNR system.
• Michigan State GovernmentcoreOthersState of Michigan provides building inspection services (Bureau of Construction Codes), electrical/building inspector services, mechanical and plumbing permits, and Secretary of State mobile office visits.
• LMAS District Health DepartmentminorOthersLocal health department providing well & septic permit services for township residents through offices in Newberry and St. Ignace.
• Top of the Lake Communities AssociationminorOthersRegional community association connecting the township communities of Engadine, Naubinway, and surrounding areas for tourism promotion and community development.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Granicus: Government technology company offering communications, meeting agenda/minutes management, and citizen engagement platforms. Comparable to Garfield Township's public meeting, board minutes, and announcement publication workflows.
• CivicPlus: Provider of municipal government websites, content management, and citizen engagement software to local governments of similar size. Directly comparable to the digital service-delivery function Garfield Township operates through its official website and newsletter subscriptions.
• BS&A Software: Provider of the BS&A Online tax/assessment payment platform that Garfield Township explicitly uses. Sells financial, assessing, and permitting software directly to Michigan townships and other municipalities, making it the most directly comparable operating partner.
• Springbrook Software: Cloud ERP and utility billing software specifically designed for small-to-mid-sized municipalities and special districts. Comparable operating model serving rural townships and small cities with finance, utility billing, and citizen payment needs similar to Garfield's.

Broad incumbents

• Tyler Technologies: Large publicly traded provider of ERP, property assessment, tax collection, public safety, and court software to thousands of U.S. municipalities — including many Michigan townships. A broader incumbent to BS&A with overlapping product categories such as appraisal/assessing and tax billing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Garfield Township