By Megan Kelley
Editor
mkelley@mihomepaper.com
INDEPENDENCE TWP. — During its meeting on Sept. 16, the Clarkston Community Schools Board of Education further discussed its plan to place a non-homestead millage proposal on the Nov. 5 General Election ballot. The board voted to put the measure on the ballot at its meeting last month.
The proposal is not a new tax but rather a millage renewal that would allow the district to levy 18 mills on non-homestead property for the next 10 years starting in 2026.
The renewal will not affect taxes on primary residences and qualified agricultural properties and is only levied on commercial, industrial, second homes and rental properties.
Should the measure pass, the district would receive approximately $10.2 million in its first year and would allow the district to collect the full per-pupil funding for operating revenues which accounts for about $1,083 per student.
According to the district, the funds are generally used to pay for staffing, purchase textbooks and classroom supplies as well as operate school buildings within the district.
When Proposal A was approved by the state in 1994, it impacted how districts received funding by assuming that each school district is collecting the 18-mill operating levy when calculating state aid payments. Because of this, districts must collect all 18 mills on non-homestead properties to receive the full $9,608 per-pupil funding.
“It is important for community members to understand that this is not a new tax. It is a millage renewal,” said Dr. Shawn Ryan, superintendent of Clarkston Community Schools. “Our community has approved the operating millage several times since its inception in 1994 when the state first began requiring all public schools to levy the tax to ensure full student funding.”
While CCS is asking voters to approve 25.8457 mills, it can only levy up to 18 and this is because of the Headlee Amendment in Michigan’s constitution. The Headlee Amendment requires local government municipalities, including school districts, to reduce a millage rate when the growth on existing properties is greater than the rate of inflation. In order to ensure the full operational dollars authorized by the state under Proposal A, districts can ask voters to approve a millage exceeding 18 mills in case there are any adjustments that result in a deficit.
Since Proposal A was passed, Clarkston voters have continued to support and approve the millage roughly every 10 years.
“The community has supported it since the mid 90’s,” said Trustee Steve Hyer. “I just think it’s an important point that this didn’t exist before the mid 90’s. The community has really supported this since its inception.”
Official ballot language that will be presented to voters is as follows:
“This proposal will allow the school district to continue to levy the statutory rate of not to exceed 18 mills on all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, required for the school district to receive its revenue per pupil foundation allowance. The remaining 7.8457 mills are only available to be levied to restore millage loss as a result of the reduction required by the “Headlee” amendment to the Michigan Constitution of 1963 and will only be levied to the extent necessary to restore that reduction.
Shall the currently authorized millage rate limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, in the Clarkston Community Schools, Oakland County, Michigan, be renewed by 25.8457 mills ($25.8457 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of 10 years, 2026 to 2035, inclusive, to provide funds for operating purposes the estimate of the revenue the school district will collect if the millage is approved and 18 mills are levied in 2026 is approximately $10,217,813 [this is a renewal of millage that will expire with the 2025 tax levy]?”
Clarkston schools is working to get information out to voters as quickly as possible with the election looming and absentee ballots being sent out this week.
For more information on the millage proposal visit the district website at www.clarkston.k12.mi.us/community/nonhomestead and for information on voting in general, visit the state website at mvic.sos.state.mi.us.