I would rather
write about what makes a small town a great place to be and what doesn't, not
about taxes. However, if everyone is paying higher taxes with little
benefit to anyone, it seems a Big Idea might be to change how you are taxed.
From a purely democratic society point of view, we also might prefer the
ability to vote on the taxes we pay. So we will start with how the
Village of Clarkston became a city and what effect that had on the taxes paid
by those who live there.
The Vote
A petition signed
by only 65 people placed being a city up for a vote on May 21, 1990 where 228
voters, only 21% of the reported1100 residents, voted yes. On
January 1, 1992 the Village of Clarkston became the City of the Village
of. The reasons given for doing this ranged from a fear of
potentially higher taxes to pay for development in the Township to a fear the
character of the Village would be lost as the Township
developed. Basically it seems to have been fear.
The 2010 population for the City of the Village of Clarkston is
listed as 882 with 820 registered voters. I find it hard to believe that
93% of the population are registered voters but those are the numbers I have to
work with. In order to undo what only 65 people started, and only 228
approved, it will take 205 signatures to get the issue of un-cityhood on
the ballot, 547 City residents voting in favor and 13,232 from the
Township.
The Taxes
In 1990, the Village tax rate was 11.8 mills and Independence Township was 5.2. For those who don't know, Villages in Michigan are part of the Township they are in and have all the same rights as Townships. In addition, they have their own Village government and can have an additional tax to pay for services rendered only in the Village. This was the situation in the Village of Clarkston from 1884 until 1992. In 1992, right after the Village of became the City of, City taxes were 10.7 and Township were 7.2. The following year they were 12.3 while Township taxes were 7.96. This year, a property owner in the City of the Village of Clarkston pays 17.9 mills which includes about 5 mills for roads and water improvement, a 67.3% increase from that of 1992. Independence Township property owners pay 8.03 mills or only an 11.5% increase for the same time period. The property tax in the City is the highest possible rate that can be charged by the voter approved City Charter and has been that way for many years. In 2010, for the first time, the average residential property value in the City fell below that of Independence Township. These numbers are from Oakland County records so argue with them if you disagree.
In 1990, the Village tax rate was 11.8 mills and Independence Township was 5.2. For those who don't know, Villages in Michigan are part of the Township they are in and have all the same rights as Townships. In addition, they have their own Village government and can have an additional tax to pay for services rendered only in the Village. This was the situation in the Village of Clarkston from 1884 until 1992. In 1992, right after the Village of became the City of, City taxes were 10.7 and Township were 7.2. The following year they were 12.3 while Township taxes were 7.96. This year, a property owner in the City of the Village of Clarkston pays 17.9 mills which includes about 5 mills for roads and water improvement, a 67.3% increase from that of 1992. Independence Township property owners pay 8.03 mills or only an 11.5% increase for the same time period. The property tax in the City is the highest possible rate that can be charged by the voter approved City Charter and has been that way for many years. In 2010, for the first time, the average residential property value in the City fell below that of Independence Township. These numbers are from Oakland County records so argue with them if you disagree.
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| Local tax rates for the Village of Clarkston (red) and Independence Township (blue) from 1990 to 2009 - Click to Enlarge |
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