8/2/13 - Pending approval of the ballot language by the county clerkâs office, voters in the city of Brighton will go to the polls in November to decide on four Headlee override millage proposals. All four requests are for a period of ten years. The first, the largest of the proposed millages, is a 1.25-mill request to maintain and improve city streets, sidewalks and storm drainage facilities. The millage, if approved, could generate $487,000 the first year, based on current property values. The second proposal is for 38-hundredths-of-a-mill, which would generate about $148,000 the first year and would be used for new city police patrol cars and other basic police department necessities such as weapons and technology upgrades. The third issue, 37-hundredths-of-a-mill, would be used to repair, maintain and improve public buildings and parks in the city, generating about $144,000 its first year. The final request is for 1.16 mills to pay for trash collection, replacing the current trash collection fee, generating $451,000 the first year itâs in effect. City Manager Dana Foster tells WHMI the millage requests are a better deal for city taxpayers than last yearâs proposal that went down to defeat. Thatâs because any projects would be on a pay-as-you-go basis and there would be zero interest costs. The Headlee Tax Limitation Amendment limits property tax increases to five percent or the cost of living increase â whichever is lower. The city is currently right at the Headlee limit, levying 15.2 mills in property taxes, and needs voter approval to go any higher. Foster has said that the current limit is not enough to meet the cityâs needs, as a result of property tax revenue declines resulting from lower property values. (TT)
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