LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The Michigan House passed a pair of bills on Wednesday that supporters say will improve transparency in local tax elections.
House Bills 4583 and 4584, which passed in the GOP-led chamber 56-50, would require new or increased local millages and school bond proposals to appear only on the November general election ballot. Voter turnout for May and August elections is typically low, while November general elections experience the highest voter participation.
State Rep. Matt Maddock (R-Milford) said property tax increases tied to school millage proposals are frequently placed on low-turnout ballots in May or August. In those elections, Maddock said a small amount of people end up making property tax decisions for the rest of the community.
“School millages increase property taxes, plain and simple,” Maddock said. “Right now, low-turnout elections make it easier for those increases to pass without the majority of residents weighing in. This practice has become a strategy for some cities and school districts to advance unpopular proposals with reduced public attention,” Maddock said.
He added, “Requiring these questions to appear on the November ballot ensures greater public participation and that the outcome better reflects the will of the community.”
The bills now move to the Michigan Senate.
