Harbor Springs school board approves millage proposal for November ballot

Karly Graham, The Petoskey News-Review
·2 min read
Made up of 47 questions, Harbor Springs high schoolers were asked to answer questions based on health, behavior and wellness.

HARBOR SPRINGS — The Harbor Springs Public Schools Board of Education approved a millage proposal to go on the November ballot at a board meeting on Monday.

The millage supports the school district’s operational costs, said Rod Fullerton, the district's CFO.

“Without this, not to be very short, but our school doesn’t exist,” he said.

The funds help pay teachers, provide school supplies and maintain the buildings.

Voting on Harbor Springs millage proposals may be familiar to Harbor Springs residents. Every two years the district has a millage put on the ballot for people to vote on.

“It's nothing new,” Fullerton said.

The two-year voting process was a norm set by the district but is not a standard for all Michigan schools. Some districts can choose to have millage proposals voted on annually, while others may opt for longer periods between votes.

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With the new proposal, it is expected that residents will pay about the same amount of money as they had in previous years.

According to the language, the proposal asks for “13.9911 mills against property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law.”

This means that for every $1,000 of assessed property value, people in the district will be expected to pay $13.9911. The millage only applies to non-homestead properties.

Fullerton said the school district received $11,411,356 from the millage. If this year’s proposal passes, an estimated $11,695,000 will be brought into the district, according to the proposal.

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Harbor Springs Public Schools also have an additional millage proposal on the ballot, asking for 13 cents per $1,000 in property taxes to equip, maintain and operate the Harbor Springs Community Pool. The proposal requests a four-year mill authorization.

According to the proposal, the renewal of the millage would provide an estimated $154,000 in 2023.

The millage proposals will be included on the November ballot. The election will take place on Nov. 8.

Contact education reporter Karly Graham at kgraham@petoskeynews.com or on Twitter at @KarlyGrahamJRN.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Harbor Springs school board approves millage for Nov. 8 ballot