New millages, renewals to be decided
TRI-CITY AREA — Between now and August 2 local voters will be tasked with studying up on the rather long list of proposals that will appear on the primary ballot.
Tri-City area voters in Lapeer County will consider various funding requests plus one on the sale of alcohol.
In St. Clair County, the lineup includes a mix of millage requests and a bond proposal for voters in the Tri-City area.
Lapeer County
As previously reported, Almont Township will ask voters to consider allowing the “sale of spirits and mixed spirit drinks for consumption on premises.” The ballot language notes that the sale and consumption of beer and wine is currently allowed.
The requests for funding are wide-ranging.
Dryden Community Schools is seeking to renew and restore their operating millage. The ballot language asks that the currently authorized 16.9212 mills be renewed for a period of eight years (2023-2030) and, at the same time, be increased by .5 mills for a total of 17.4212 mills which equates to a restoration of that portion of the millage lost due to a Headlee amendment rollback. At 17.4212 mills, the district would collect approximately $615,000 when levied in 2023.
A new funding request comes from the Lapeer County Sheriff and Prosecutor’s offices for a County-Wide Law Enforcement Millage. The proposal seeks up to 1.45 mills for six years, 2022-2028. As written, the majority of funds would be directed to supplement the sheriff’s department budget with the remainder going to the prosecutor’s office. If approved and levied in full, it would raise approximately $4.78 million in its first year.
County leaders say that in order to maintain the current level of service they need to seek an increase in the senior citizens service millage. The new request is for .3916 mills for four years, 2023 through 2026. That amounts to a .1459 mill increase from the expiring senior levy of .2457 mills.
If approved, the new millage would generate about $1.29 million in first year revenues.
In Imlay Township, residents will be asked to consider a fire protection millage up to .6 mills for five years and a garbage collection special assessment of up to $250 per year, per residential dwelling.
St. Clair County
Capac Community Schools will seek a $6.7 million bond. According to the ballot language, the estimated millage to be levied for the proposed bonds would be 0.7 mills which equates to a continuation of the current levy. The maximum number of years the bonds may be outstanding, exclusive of refunding, is 16 years.
Three entities are requesting renewals of existing levies already on the tax rolls—parks and recreation, senior citizens and the St. Clair County Community College District.
The ballot language states the parks and recreation millage is seeking a six year term from 2022 to 2027 in which .4944 mills would be levied. That constitutes a renewal of the previously approved .4954 mills. It’s estimated to generate $3.3 million is the first year of collection.
Ballot language for the senior citizens millage renewal would authorize a levy of .7983 mills for a period of four years, from 2022 to 2025. If renewed, the millage would generate approximately $5.36 million in revenues.
The community college district millage is requesting an extension by four years of their existing one-half mill levy which has since been reduced to .4935 mills by the Headlee Amendment. If approved and levied in its entirety, the millage would raise an estimated $3.04 million in its first year.
The county’s library system millage is being considered a new request in that they are asking for a higher amount—1.2 mills—than what they are currently operating on. In 2014, voters approved 0.7 mills over eight years.
If approved the 1.2 mills would amount to about $8.06 million in the first year it’s collected.
As part of our election coverage, the Tri-City Times will offer more in-depth profiles of each of these proposals in advance of the August 2 election.
