County voted taxes up for renewal

Jun. 10—TRAVERSE CITY — Voters in November will likely see a crowded Grand Traverse County ballot as several property tax millages are up for renewal this year.

They include the Commission on Aging, the Senior Center Network, Veterans Affairs and Animal Control.

Voters will also be asked to renew a Bay Area Transit Authority tax that is levied in Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties and is not under the county Board of Commissioner's control.

The county board talked about the taxes at a budget work session held Wednesday. The millage rates and length of terms will be up for approval along with the 2023 fiscal year budget at the board's next regular meeting July 6. Ballot language has to be to the county clerk by August. Another work session is set for 8 a.m. June 22 at the government center.

Recommendations made by the millage review committee are:

Veterans Affairs — .08 mills for six years

The millage was originally approved by voters in 2015 at a rate of .12 mills. That amount was lowered about two years ago to .08 mills because the tax was bringing in enough money to cover the agency's needs, said county Administrator Nate Alger.

The tax brought in $455,504 for this year's operations, according to county documents. The reduced amount was recommended because it is still sufficient to meet their needs, Alger said.

The Veterans Affairs Administrative Committee recently unanimously approved having the millage renewed to its original amount, minus rollbacks from the Headlee Amendment, a state law that says property taxes cannot be increased by more than the rate of inflation.

Commissioner Betsy Coffia questioned why the rate was being lowered when the original amount was approved by voters. Commission Chair Rob Hentschel questioned why they need more money.

Both said they would like to have Veterans Affairs Director Michael Roof come to the June 22 work session to give his reasons for the increase.

Roof was not available for comment, but Administrative Committee Chair Art Eisner said the committee was told the ballot renewal language had to be the same as the ballot language for the original millage. This is the millage's first renewal.

"The money that we have coming in is working for us," said Eisner, who has been on the board for five years. "Our goal is only to ask for what we need to operate. We just want what we need to provide services to the veterans."

Animal Control — .037 mills for six years

The 2-year millage was approved in 2018 and expired at the end of 2020. It was not put up for renewal in 2021 because an off-year election would have cost nearly $197,000, or about what the tax brings in every year.

The board at that time chose to operate animal control for one year with money from the department's fund balance and the county's general fund.

Coffia said the "handshake agreement" made last year was that it would be put back on the ballot this year.

"My expectation is that we would give the voters a chance to renew it," Coffia said, adding that the departments like the stability of a longer-term millage and not being subject to the political whims of a partisan elected body.

Commission on Aging — .4739 mills for 10 years

The millage is appropriate for the COA's needs, Alger said. The agency has a fund balance, but it also continues to have a significant waiting list of people seeking services.

"We're trying to find a balance there and likely that would be staff," he said.

Senior Center — .09828

mills for 10 years

The tax pays for programming at all county senior centers.

The millage could be changed based on if and how a committee made up of city and county representatives opts to fund a new senior center at its Traverse City beach front location.

"We know that millage is insufficient to pay for the new build of the senior center," Alger said.

Two other millages for the county Road Commission and the Conservation District are not up for renewal until 2024.

Hentschel said that many of the millages were not in place 10 years ago.

"And we got by, even in tough times," Hentschel said. "I don't like extra taxes and if we don't need it to keep our house in order, if we can keep the ships moving along without the extra taxes I personally would rather look at that than just keep renewing them into perpetuity."