Jackson County voters said yes to higher property taxes in yesterday’s election. In Columbia Township, there were two ballot proposals. The first asked voters to raise property taxes to support mental health services. The proposal also stated “in accordance with State law a portion of the millage may be distributed to the Downtown Development Authorities of the City of Jackson, the Villages of Grass Lake and Springport, and the Townships of Blackman and Leoni; the Local Development Finance Authorities of the Village of Parma and the Township of Blackman; and the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority of the City of Jackson.”
The second proposal that passed is a six-year property tax renewal “to provide funds for the education of students with a disability…”.
Other ballot proposals were voted upon depending on where you live. Below you can see the turnout in Columbia Township. The left hand column indicates the number of registered voters; the middle, the number who voted; and the right hand column, the turnout percentage.
The full text of these two proposals can be found below.
JACKSON COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES MILLAGE PROPOSAL
For the purpose of providing mental health services for Jackson County residents, shall the Constitutional limitation upon the total amount of taxes which shall be assessed in one (1) year upon all property within the County of Jackson, Michigan, be increased, and shall the County be authorized to levy, up to 0.50 mill ($0.50 per $1,000 of Taxable Value) for a period of ten (10) years, 2018 through 2027, inclusive.
If approved and levied in full, this millage will raise an estimated $2,000,158 for providing funds for mental health services in the first calendar year of the levy based on taxable value. If approved and levied, in accordance with State law a portion of the millage may be distributed to the Downtown Development Authorities of the City of Jackson, the Villages of Grass Lake and Springport, and the Townships of Blackman and Leoni; the Local Development Finance Authorities of the Village of Parma and the Township of Blackman; and the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority of the City of Jackson.
INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL DISTRICT PROPOSALS
SPECIAL EDUCATION MILLAGE RENEWAL PROPOSAL
SPECIAL EDUCATION MILLAGE RENEWAL PROPOSAL
This proposal will permit the intermediate school district to continue to levy special education millage previously approved by the electors.
Shall the currently authorized millage rate limitation of 1.55 mills ($1.55 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property in Jackson County Intermediate School District, Michigan, to provide funds for the education of students with a disability, be renewed for a period of 6 years, 2018 to 2023, inclusive; the estimate of the revenue the intermediate school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2018 is approximately $6,700,000 from local property taxes authorized herein (this is a renewal of millage that will expire with the 2017 tax levy)?