What does this mean?
- Iosco County requested that the County Tax Allocation Board allocate an additional mill to the County
- This is done through setting the fixed millage
- 8.75 mills total can be allocated between County, Townships, and ISD by the tax allocation board if they deem appropriate.
- Currently 5.75 are authorized
- 4.5 mills to the County
- 1.0 mill to General Law Townships
- .25 mills to the ISD
- This leaves 3 unallocated mills that could be levied
- Iosco County requested one additional mill of the 3 available
- Iosco County’s current 4.5 mills is rolled back to 3.9105 mills
- State average County operating millage is 5.71
- Only three counties in Michigan with lower operating millages
- Otsego 4.3
- Ottawa 4.44
- Tuscola 4.2
- Iosco County requested an additional mill for a total of 5.5 mills
- If approved in the election, will take effect in 2024
- County only plans to levy 5.2 mills in the first year
- The additional .3 mills will be used in future years if needed to offset future headlee rollbacks (state statute that reduces our millage rates when annual growth on a property is greater than inflation)
- Ballot language is set by statute
- Only effect on General Law Townships and ISD if it passes is it resets headlee for the first year and future rollbacks are prospective
- Additional approximately $1.6 million a year at the 5.2 mills
- Average homestead property of $46,000 would increase yearly property taxes for the County millage by approximately $59 at the 5.2 mills
Planned Uses
- Operating Millage for the County covers the following:
- Jail
- Trial Court
- Prosecuting Attorney
- Sheriff
- Medical Examiner
- Clerk
- Treasurer
- Register of Deeds
- Equalization
- Drain Commission
- Emergency Manager
- Elections
- Buildings & Grounds
- Capital Improvements-currently no mechanism for funding any capital improvements
- Increase equalization and register of deeds staff
- Employee wage increases
- Desperately needed to be competitive and fully staffed
- Further cuts may be necessary when American Rescue Plan funds are spent
