millages Archives - Public Response

Am I math challenged or is the fixmeridianroads group not talking to them selves // Don Bosman

August 1, 2019

Today we received a second brochure touting a vote to tax ourselves more.
The brochure lists taxes on a $200,000.00 home at $169.28

If you go to the website https://clerk.ingham.org/Department/County%20Clerk/Elections/Election%20Results/August%202019%20Proposal%20Language.pdf
through the link at https://fixmeridianroads.com/the-solution to read the sample ballot language, it states the millage will be for 1.9428, which by my math equals $194.28 on a $200,000.00 home.

I’ve used a calculator to triple check my math. What am I missing?

Don Bosman
Meridian Township but East Lansing Schools

re: More Tax Comparisons // Phill Bellfy

February 19, 2018

In response to Eliot Singer’s most recent post –a small group of activists looked into creating “Spartan City” out of the shallow hull of the city that would formerly be known as East Lansing. It could be done, but there is one rather large complicating factor: Abbot Road forms the dividing line between two underlying Townships (Lansing Twp. to the west, and Meridian to the east).

So, in order to create “Spartan City,” the voters both east and west of Abbot would have to … Read more →

More Tax Comparisons // Eliot Singer

February 19, 2018

I am very curious about why certain non-city taxes are so much higher in EL/Ingham County than in TC/Traverse Bay/Grand Traverse. I have analyzed why EL city taxes are so high—the disproportionate cost of policing a college town with much smaller tax base than Ann Arbor, with collateral effect on legacy costs, which are mostly for public safety, and the huge amount of money squandered on building public works, without seeking voter approved debt millages, and pursuing public-private development with snake oil finance.

ISD … Read more →

TC v EL Taxes // Eliot Singer

February 16, 2018

Having recently received my Traverse City 2018 assessment, with 2.1% inflation increase, I have been trying to more fully understand my tax millages in comparison with what I was used to in East Lansing.

Both communities have significant aging infrastructure problems. As far as I can tell, public safety and public services in TC are as good or better than in EL.

Bottom line is TC local taxes (defined as for a brownfield plan, including ISD but not school district) comes to about 27.8 … Read more →

Responsible and Irresponsible Bond Financing for Public Works // Eliot Singer

February 13, 2018January 18, 2018

Twenty years ago, East Lansing voters approved debt millages amounting to $10.5 million in principal to build the aquatic center and renovate Hannah Middle School into a community center. The exact city debt millage on tax bills depends on total taxable value of East Lansing properties, so how much this has cost the average single family home can only be an approximation: $2000 over 20 years would be in the right ballpark. (School debt is set at 7 mils, despite change in total taxable … Read more →