The Election on August 7 includes an opportunity for Albion residents to increase funding for the Recreation Department and Senior Services. The exact ballot language of this item is:
ALBION CITY RECREATION MILLAGE PROPOSAL Shall the City of Albion increase the current levy to a total of two mills ($2.00 per $1,000.00) on taxable value of property located in the City of Albion for three years beginning with the 2019 tax levy year and running through the 2021 tax levy year (inclusive), which in the first year of such tax levy will raise an estimated revenue of One Hundred Seventy Two Thousand Dollars ($172,000.00) used for the specific purpose of continuing operation of City of Albion recreation programs for young people, adults, families, and senior citizens? Taxes within the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and Tax Increment Finance Authority (TIFA) districts will be distributed as prescribed by law. If approved, this would be an additional one-half increase of the current millage levy.
This information is posted on the Calhoun County website at this location:
http://directory.co.calhoun.mi.us/ckeditor_assets/attachments/529/all_language_aug_18.pdf?1528318894
If this millage passes – how will it affect the taxes on a $50,000 home? Keep reading at the bottom to find out!
If this millage passes, it will support the Albion Community Center, the Albion Senior Center and many recreational programs for our city – programs such as Adult Flag Football, the Cardboard Classic Sled Race, Adult Water Aerobics, the Annual Easter Egg Hunt, Youth and Adult Basketball, Dad and Daughter and Mother and Son Dances, Youth Baseball and T-Ball, Swimming Lessons, as well as a full range of social and recreational activities for seniors.
Supporters say that programs for young people are especially important as they help our youth forge an Albion identity and form lasting relationships.
As per the Deputy/Clerk-Treasurer of Albion:
“If a home has a market value of $50,000 that would mean a taxable value of one half that, or $25,000. The proposed new recreation millage would be $25,000 / 1,000 = 25, times the proposed new 2 mills = $50 per year. However, please remember, there is an existing 1.5 mills levied for recreation, so the actual proposed increase would only be on the extra half a Mill (going from 1.5 to 2.0 Mills).
An older debt service millage has expired this year. On this same $50,000 home, the 2018 tax bill would decrease by $25 per year just due to this 1 Mill expiring. In addition, the flat $50 per property Sidewalk Assessment ended this year as well – this would result in an additional $50 per year savings for this same $50,000 home. So in summary, if all of these changes happened on the same year, like this year for example, it would look like this:
Proposed new half a Mill increase in the Recreational Millage = a $12.50 increase per year above the current 1.5 Mills currently charged on a home with a market value of $50,000;
Reduction from the expired 1 Mill Debt Service Millage – a decrease in $25 per year on a home with a market value of $50,000;
Reduction from the flat $50 parcel Sidewalk Assessment Program – a decrease of $50 per year on every real parcel in town, regardless of value;
The NET change would be a DECREASE of $62.50 per year on a home with a taxable value of $25,000 and/or a market value of $50,000.”