Simplified ballot explanations for Dexter area primary voters

Elections are the crux of democracy, guaranteeing every registered voter an equal voice. As good citizens and neighbors, we are all responsible for being engaged and informed voters. However, complicated ballot language, unfamiliar technical terms, and partisan rhetoric can make that seem almost impossible. Below is a simplified explanation of the language appearing on Dexter area ballots in the August 6th state primary. 

Scio Township
In addition to three Washtenaw County-wide initiatives detailed below, voters in Scio Township are being asked to renew and restore the township’s transportation millage currently set to expire at the end of this year. First approved by voters in 2015, the taxes fund public transit services in Scio Township including several AAATA routes for the Jackson Road, Scio Ridge, and Dexter/Wagner Road areas; public transit for seniors and people with disabilities through the A-Ride service; and the WAVE Community Connector.

The proposed millage rate for this is .3627 mill, which is the same rate approved by voters in 2015. This means if approved, the township would collect a tax of $.3627 for every $1000 of a property’s taxable value.  Remember, the taxable value of a property is 50% of its actual value, so a home worth $200,000 has a taxable value of $100,000. The owner of that home/property would be charged $36.27 per year to cover the cost of this township transit program. The tax would be collected for ten years, expiring in December 2034. 

For the sake of transparency, it’s important to note that even though the proposed mill rate is the same rate approved by voters in 2015, the township has actually been charging a ‘rolled back’ (slightly lowered) rate since 2023. This is due to a complicated and somewhat obscure Michigan law called the Headlee Amendment that limits the total amount of taxes that can be collected by taxing authorities in certain cases. If approved, the rate would be restored to the .3627 mill rate approved in 2015, and for most property owners the difference between that and the Headlee Amendment rate would likely be less than $10 per year. 

Webster Township
Webster Township voters are being asked to consider two township proposals in addition to the three Washtenaw County proposals. 

Proposal A
Proposal A is asking Webster Township voters to approve a new tax that will be used to maintain, reconstruct, resurface, or preserve roads within Webster Township. The proposed rate is .8225 mills and would be collected for ten years, beginning with the December 2024 tax collection cycle. A taxpayer with a property valued at $200,000 and a taxable value of $100,000 would be charged $82.25 per year for this township road funding program. 

Proposal B
Proposal B is asking Webster Township voters to renew the existing Farmland and Open Space Preservation millage currently set to expire at the end of this year. The proposed rate for this renewal is .5000, which is the same rate previously approved by voters.  Because of the Headlee Amendment, the rate was rolled back to .4735 in 2023 but if it’s renewed, it will be restored to the original .5000.

This means the township would collect a tax of $.50 for every $1000 of a property’s taxable value. A home worth $200,000 has a taxable value of $100,000. The owner of that home/property would be charged $50 per year to cover the cost of this Farmland and Open Space millage renewal. That same property owner would have paid $47.35 in a year that used the Headlee Amendment adjusted rate. 

Washtenaw County
Every Washtenaw County primary voter will be asked to consider three countywide ballot measures. All three are renewals of previously approved measures that have expired or will soon, and there is no increase to any of the previously approved mill rates. 

Despite the simplicity of these renewals, the proposal language is confusing and easy to misunderstand, again, due to the Headlee Act rollbacks. All the extra words about different mill rates in these measures are simply a legal way to express that the rate being charged has been a little bit less than the rate that voters approved previously and if approved again, the rate will be restored to the originally approved mill rate.  

Proposal A
Proposal A asks voters to renew funding for the ongoing construction and care of Washtenaw County roads, bike lanes, streets, and paths. Last approved in 2020, it expired with the 2023 tax collection. The funds are distributed to the “Washtenaw County Road Commission, Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation, and the various cities, villages, and townships of Washtenaw County to maintain, construct, resurface, reconstruct, or preserve  roads, bike lanes, streets, and paths in Washtenaw County.”

The proposed mill rate for this is .5000 mills. This rate was approved by voters in 2020 but it rolled back to .4950 in 2023 due to the Headlee Amendment, and then expired. If renewed, the mill rate would be restored to .5000 mills and collected for four years spanning 2024 through 2027. 

This means the township would collect a tax of $.50 for every $1000 of a property’s taxable value.  Remember, the taxable value of a property is 50% of its actual value, so a home worth $200,000 has a taxable value of $100,000. The owner of that home/property would be charged $50 per year to cover the cost of this road maintenance program. That same property owner would have paid $49.50 in a year that used the Headlee Amendment adjusted rate. 

Proposal B 
Proposal B asks voters to renew operational funding for the Washtenaw County Conservation District. Previously approved by voters in 2020, the .0200 mill rate was rolled back to .0197 in 2023 because of the Headlee Amendment and now expires in 2025. 

The Washtenaw County Conservation District provides “programs to assist residents in the protection of surface and groundwater quality, increasing wildlife habitat, woodlot management, reforestation and tree planting, invasive species removal, and soil erosion reduction” and “conservation resources, education, and assistance to residents.” It also strengthens “the local food system by promoting sustainable agricultural practices throughout the County of Washtenaw.”

If approved, the mill rate would be restored to .0200 and would be collected for six years, from 2026 through 2031. A taxpayer with a property valued at $200,000 and a taxable value of $100,000 would be charged $2.00 per year for this program. The same taxpayer would have been charged $1.97 in a year affected by the Headlee Amendment. 

Proposal C
Proposal C asks voters to continue funding Washtenaw County park land and recreation facilities. A rate of .2500 was approved by voters in 2014 but was rolled back to .2387 in 2023 due to the Headlee Amendment and is now set to expire in 2026. A renewal of this funding provides for the acquisition, development, maintenance, and operation of park land and recreational facilities within Washtenaw County. 

If approved, the mill rate would be restored to .2500 and collected for ten years, from 2026 through 2036. A property with a taxable value of $100,000 would generate $25 per year for this county program. In a year affected by the Headlee Amendment, that same property would generate $23.87.