Have you ever been in the voting booth and found yourself reading the proposals for the first time trying to figure out what they are talking about? You and me both. Here is the list of proposals on the ballot in Washtenaw County for next week’s August 7 election for you to ponder ahead of time.
August 7, 2018 State Primary –Official List of Proposals
DEXTER TOWNSHIP FIRE SERVICES MILLAGE INCREASE
Shall Dexter Township increase the tax limitation imposed under Article IX, Section 6 of the Michigan Constitution up to 2.4 mills ($2.40 per $1,000 of taxable value), for five (5) years, 2019 through 2023 inclusive, for the purpose of providing funds for the provision of all lawful fire and emergency services including personnel, equipment and facilities, raising an estimated $938,827 the first year the millage is levied.
DEXTER TOWNSHIP POLICE SERVICES MILLAGE RENEWAL
Shall Dexter Township renew the previously voted increase in the tax limitation imposed under Article IX, Section 6 of the Michigan Constitution of up to 1.4199 mills ($1.4199 per $1,000 of taxable value), for five (5) years, 2019 through 2023 inclusive, for police services, including, but not limited to: Contracting for police services; hiring police officers and related staff; purchase and or lease of police vehicles and equipment; construction, purchase and or lease of facilities for police operations; contracting for dispatch services; and any and all other services related to police activities within Dexter Township, raising an estimated $555,434.00 in the first year the millage is levied.
AUGUSTA CHARTER TOWNSHIP FIRE PROTECTION AND PREVENTION MILLAGE RENEWAL
Shall the expired previous authorized increase in the tax limitation imposed under Article IX, Sec. 6, of the Michigan Constitution in Augusta Charter Township, of 2.0 mills ($2.00 per $1000 of taxable value), reduced by required “Headlee” millage rollbacks to 1.9748 mills ($1.9748 per $1000 of taxable value) be renewed and increased to the original voted 2 mills ($2.00 per $1000 of taxable value) and levied for four (4) years, 2019 through 2022 inclusive, for the purpose of providing fire protection and prevention services in the Township, which 2 mills renewal will raise an estimated $427,303.54 in the first year the millage is levied.
MANCHESTER TOWNSHIP RENEW AND INCREASE EXTRA —VOTED MILLAGE TO OFFSET HEADLEE ROLLBACKS
Shall the expired previous voted increase in the tax limitation imposed under Article IX, Sec. 6 of the Michigan Constitution in Manchester Township, of .65 mills ($.65 per $1,000.00 of taxable value), reduced to .6458 ($.64 per $1,000.00 of taxable value) by the required millage rollbacks, be renewed at and increased up to the original vote .65 mills ($.65 per $1,000.00 of taxable value) and levied for 5 years, 2018 through 2022 inclusive, for Fire Protection Services within Manchester Township, raising an estimated $126,098 in the first year the millage is levied of which a portion may be disbursed to such other or fewer local units of government as the Township Board determines appropriate.
CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF SUPERIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES MILLAGE PROPOSAL
Shall the Charter Township of Superior impose an increase of 2.75 mills ($2.75 per $1,000 of taxable value) in the tax limitation imposed under Article IX, Sec. 6 of the Michigan Constitution and levy it for four (4) years, 2019 through 2022 inclusive, for providing complete law enforcement services for the Washtenaw County Sheriff for Superior Township, raising an estimated one million seven hundred fifty four thousand nine hundred and ninety two dollars ($1,754,992.00) in the first year the millage is levied. A portion of the millage levied on Hyundai’s facility will be disbursed to the Local Development Finance Authority of the Charter Township of Superior.
CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF SUPERIOR FIRE PROTECTION AND PREVENTION MILLAGE PROPOSAL
Shall the Charter Township of Superior impose an increase of 3.5 mills ($3.50 per $1,000 of taxable value) in the tax limitation imposed under Article IX, Sec. 6 of the Michigan Constitution and levy it for four (4) years, 2019 through 2022 inclusive, for providing complete fire protection, prevention services and emergency medical response throughout the township, raising an estimated two million two hundred thirty three thousand six hundred and twenty six dollars ($2,233,626.00) in the first year the millage is levied. A portion of the millage levied on Hyundai’s facility will be disbursed to the Local Development Finance Authority of the Charter Township of Superior.
CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF YORK PROPOSITION FOR POLICE AND FIRE PUBLIC SAFETY MILLAGE RENEWAL
Shall the expired previous voted increase in the tax limitation imposed under Article IX, Sec. 6 of the Michigan Constitution in York Charter Township, of 1.5 mills ($1.5 per $1,000 of taxable value), reduced to 1.4513 mills ($1.4513 per $1,000 of taxable value) by the required millage rollbacks, be renewed at 1.4513 mills ($1.4513 per $1,000 of taxable value) and levied for 5 years from 2019 through 2023, inclusive, for public safety police and fire protection services in the Township, which millage renewal rate will raise an estimated $625,760 in the first year of levy?
ANN ARBOR AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION MILLAGE
To maintain the expanded levels of public transit and paratransit services—including services for seniors and people who have disabilities—shall the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) renew and restore an annual tax of 0.7000 mills ($0.7000 per $1000 of taxable value) on all taxable property within the City of Ann Arbor, the City of Ypsilanti, and the Charter Township of Ypsilanti for the years 2019-2023 inclusive? An annual tax of 0.7000 mills was first approved in 2014. This millage has been reduced to 0.6860 mills under the Headlee Amendment. This proposal would renew the millage and restore it to the originally approved 0.7000 mill amount. The estimate of revenue if this millage is approved is $4,849,066 for 2019. This revenue will be disbursed to TheRide and, as required by law, a portion may be subject to capture by the downtown development authorities of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, the Washtenaw County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, and the local development finance authority of the Charter Township of Ypsilanti.
BARTON HILLS VILLAGE CHARTER PROPOSAL #1
(NOTE: ADOPTION OF PROPOSAL #1 IS CONDITIONED UPON ADOPTION AT THIS ELECTION OF PROPOSAL #2.)
Shall section 2.2 be amended to provide that the Village shall have the power to contract for maintenance and improvement of any private roads within the Village through the creation of a special assessment district, upon petition by fifty-one percent of the private owners owning the frontage along the private road?
BARTON HILLS VILLAGE CHARTER PROPOSAL #2
(NOTE: ADOPTION OF PROPOSAL #2 IS CONDITIONED UPON ADOPTION AT THIS ELECTION OF PROPOSAL #1.)
Shall section 9.1 be amended to provide that the Village shall have the power to determine, upon petition by fifty-one percent of the private owners owning the frontage along the private road, that the whole or any part of the expense of maintenance or improvement of any private roads within the Village shall be defrayed by special assessment upon the parcels of property especially benefited?
LINCOLN CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL DISTRICT BONDING PROPOSAL
Shall Lincoln Consolidated School District, Washtenaw and Wayne Counties, Michigan, borrow the sum of not to exceed Twenty-Five Million Dollars ($25,000,000) and issue its general obligation unlimited tax bonds therefor, for the purpose of:
remodeling, equipping and re-equipping school buildings, including for security purposes; erecting and equipping a new field house at the high school; erecting, equipping and furnishing a new indoor training facility; acquiring, installing and equipping or reequipping school buildings for instructional technology; purchasing school buses; and preparing, developing, improving and equipping playgrounds, athletic fields and facilities and the site?
The following is for informational purposes only:
The estimated millage that will be levied for the proposed bonds in 2018, under current law, is 0 mill ($0.00 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation). The maximum number of years the bonds may be outstanding, exclusive of any refunding, is twenty-five (25) years. The estimated simple average annual millage anticipated to be required to retire this bond debt is 1.72 mills ($1.72 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation). The school district expects to borrow from the State School Bond Qualification and Loan Program to pay debt service on these bonds. The estimated total principal amount of that borrowing is $10,918,018 and the estimated total interest to be paid thereon is $32,090,282. The estimated duration of the millage levy associated with that borrowing is 27 years and the estimated computed millage rate for such levy is 7.35 mills. The estimated computed millage rate may change based on changes in certain circumstances. The total amount of qualified bonds currently outstanding is $90,370,000. The total amount of qualified loans currently outstanding is approximately $12,905,749. (Pursuant to State law, expenditure of bond proceeds must be audited, and the proceeds cannot be used for repair or maintenance costs, teacher, administrator or employee salaries, or other operating expenses.)
STOCKBRIDGE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS OPERATING MILLAGE RENEWAL PROPOSAL
This proposal will allow the school district to continue to levy the statutory rate of not to exceed 18 mills on all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, required for the school district to receive its revenue per pupil foundation allowance. The remaining 5.2595 mills are only available to be levied to restore millage lost as a result of the reduction required by the “Headlee” amendment to the Michigan Constitution of 1963 and will only be levied to the extent necessary to restore that reduction. Shall the currently authorized millage rate limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, in Stockbridge Community Schools, Ingham, Jackson, Livingston and Washtenaw Counties, Michigan, be renewed by 23.2595 mills ($23.2595 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of 6 years, 2019 to 2024, inclusive, to provide funds for operating purposes; the estimate of the revenue the school district will collect if the millage is approved and 18 mills are levied in 2019 is approximately $4,909,310 (this is a renewal of millage that will expire with the 2018 tax levy)?
WHITMORE LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS MILLAGE PROPOSAL, BUILDING AND SITE SINKING FUND TAX LEVY
Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property in Whitmore Lake Public School District, Washtenaw and Livingston Counties, Michigan, be increased by and the board of education be authorized to levy not to exceed 1 mill ($1.00 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of 10 years, 2018 through 2027, inclusive, to create a sinking fund for the purchase of real estate for sites for and the construction or repair of school buildings, for school security improvements, for the acquisition or upgrading of technology, and all other purposes authorized by law; the estimate of the revenue the school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2018 is approximately $349,594?
