Time to Use Our Strenth

I need to ask you a favor. Please contact your legislators and the Local government committees of the house and senate about the below information. They are being held hostage by local government lobbyists. they can not get the votes to move them because local government lobbyist have testified against the right of Michigan taxpayers to vote before having their taxes raised.

We need to know who they represent, the lobbyists or us.

In the summer of 2015 Wayne County placed a judgment of $39 million on our summer taxes. Inkster placed several million dollars worth of taxes on Inkster taxes. This kind of thing goes on all over the state. Their authority they say comes from PA 236 which allows them to place judgment directly on our tax bills without a vote of the people.

We believe that this is a violation of the Headlee Amendment which is part of Article IX of the State Constitution which was passed by the voters in 1978. It requires that increases in taxes require a vote of the people. We requested the help of the legislature to change PA 236. As a result we received a response from Senator David Knezek (D) who informed us that he has requested the legal council and legislative analysts to design a bill that will prohibit the placing of these judgments on our tax bills. We never heard from him again in spite of our attempts to contact him.

The Senate bills SB630 and SB 631 introduced by Senator Shirkey now resides in the Senate local government committee and HB 5150 introduced by Rep. Poleski and 5159 introduced by Reps. Yonker, Price and Garcia has been introduced in the House and are now in the House local government committee. These bills will bring judgments in line with the State Constitution.

Senate Committee Clerk | 517-373-5323

House Committee Clerk | 517-373-5323

House and Senate

http://www.michigan.gov/som/0,4669,7-192-29701---,00.html

Please contact them and request that these bills be moved for a vote. Ask your friends to do the same. When contact your elected officials to vote in favor of their passage so they know it exists when it comes to the floor.

How to Appeal Your Property Assessment

Wayne County Taxpayers Association Presents

http://www.wctaxpayers.org. 

313-278-8383

How to Appeal Your Property Assessment

Location: Metro South Church

21080 Penn Street

Taylor, MI

(at I 75 and Eureka next to Home Depot)

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

7:00 PM

No charge but a donation would be appreciated.

Beware Truth In Taxation

  


It has been a long time since Truth In Taxation has been used by most government bodies. The conditions under which it is profitable are becoming perfect. So, before you go voting for any more millages, no matter how small, make sure you will be able to pay for them.


In 1978 the Headlee Amendment passed  to limit  the amount of revenue government could collect. It basically limits revenue increases to the CPI (inflation).  If the revenue exceeds that amount, the millage must roll back.


In 1994 Proposal A passed. Unlike Headlee, it was concerned with the taxable value of individual property. It capped annual increases in your taxable value at the CPI (inflation) or 5% whichever is less. Millages are applied against the taxable value.


So while proposal A deals with capping your individual assessment,  the Headlee Amendment regulates government revenue to the rate of inflation and the number of mills that can be levied to reach that revenue.


For years most of our assessment values increased every year beyond the rate of inflation. As a result the Headlee Amendment caused millages to roll back to keep revenue from exceeding the inflationary limit.  Since the bubble our property values have been declining. The amount of revenue,  because of low inflation rates,  caused government bodies to seek  Headlee overides which required them to go to the ballot with their request.


Predictions are that inflation will become very serious after the first of the year.  The drought will cause food prices to rise, trouble in the middle east will force oil and gas prices to rise effecting the trucking and other transportation systems, housing prices are creeping up, early slaughter of cattle because of crop failure and the Federal Reserve will probably increase interest rates. 
All this will be going on while unemployment will still be high and wage increases will almost be unheard of.



MCL211.24e (in part) provides that a local taxing unit could approve and levy a millage rate for operating purposes in excess of the Base Tax Rate (BTR)  after providing a notice of public hearing in a newspaper, establishing the proposed additional millage rate by resolution,
holding the public hearing, and approving the levy of the additional millage rate.


This means that any millage that has been rolled back as a result of Headlee can be increased up to the voted level, or that portion necessary, if inflation determines it can be. That means any millage that was rolled back can be rolled up by a simple hearing by the governing body that can happen almost without you being aware. This might result in multiple increases on every level of government.  Be aware of these hearings - your ability to pay you taxes may depend on it.

A Special Invitation

We have been finding it difficult to find a location near Detroit.  Leon's Family Dining, where we have our membership meetings, has agreed to lend us his banquet room.  I had indicated that I would ask everyone to purchase something.  You can have dinner, desert  or just a cup of coffee. The meeting is at 7:00 pm on February 22 at 23830 Michigan Ave.  We have reduced our $2.00 donation to $1.00 on this occasion.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call 313-278-8383. If you are unable to attend look on our website for our other scheduled seminars. http://www.wctaxpayers.org/.

It Is Time to Prepare to Appeal Your Assessment

Michigan Taxpayers Alliance and the Wayne County Taxpayers Association are about to start scheduling our state tour on How to Appeal Your Property Assessment. The housing market across the state is tanking. Foreclosuresare up for nonpayment of mortgages.They are also up for non payment of taxes. Since the State

has changed the rules to allow foreclosure after two years of nonpayment of taxes, many people have lost
their lifetime investment due to job loss or wage cuts. This is a buyer’s market if you can find someone to finance you. Home prices are dropping so they can be sold and be affordable. Tax increases are expected to
be requested at all levels of government.

Many people chose to ignore their right to appeal their SEV (State Equalized Value), which should be half of the true cash value,because they are being taxed at the Taxable Value which was capped with the passage of Proposal A in 1994. This limited the taxable value increases to the rate of inflation or 5% which ever is less. Property Values have dropped so much that it is almost advantageous for everyone to appeal their assessment.

Remember, the assessment cap is removed when the property changes ownership. New owners are
stuck paying taxes based on the State Equalized Value.

Don’t forget, if you live in the City of Detroit, you must first appeal to the Board of Assessors before mid February to appeal to the Board of Review in March. Everyone else should call their city or township and inquire when their Board of Review will be meeting. Make sure you do the work necessary to make a successful appeal. You should be able to get sales that have occurred in your area from a local real estate office or the city assessor. You should also be able to see the SEV of other houses in your area and the worksheet they keep on your home to insure accuracy of information.

Please check our website in January for a list of the locations at which we will be presenting the seminars. For more information call 313-278-8383.  If you wish to sponsor a seminar please contact us.

RESA Wants Millage Increase

The Wayne County Intermendiate School District RESA wants a millage increase. Suprisingly, they are getting school districts to agree that they want more money. The Detroit School Board still believes, or at least claims to believe, lack of money is their problem. I guess more than $11,000 per student in Detroit is not enough to expect some kind of resonable education. This is insanity.

How did this come about? With the passage of Proposal A and the change in how schools were funded, the only way to increase operating millage was on a county wide millage. Exempt from this were sinking funds and bonds which were still allowed on a local district level and are used unmercifully.

The County millage could be increased up to 3 mils with the approval of the districts that together make up more than half the student population of the county district and then it would be placed on the ballot. We should be grateful they are so considerate to ask for only 1.9 of the three mills allowed. That is only $1.90 for every $1,000 of taxable value on your property. If your taxable value is $50,000 this means you will only have to pay $95 more per year. This millage will only generate $92 million. It will then be distributed back to the districts based on student population. More redistribution of wealth with no accountability and guarentee of better education.

If we let this happen we deserve it. Accountability first. If we don't get accountability, we are throwing good money after bad.