Emmet County voters are asked to renew and restore a property tax levy totaling one mill for College operations for 10 years.

HISTORY:

• Voters approved one mill for 10 years in 1997.
• The levy is now expiring.
• The levy has been subject to rollbacks required by the Headlee Amendment.
• The levy for the winter 2006 tax bills will be 0.8966 mill.
• The College requests renewal of the 0.8966 mill and restoration of 0.1034 mill, for a total of one mill, the same amount originally approved in 1997.

CONTEXT:

This millage accounts for approximately 20 percent of the College's revenues.

COST:

If approved, the one-mill levy will appear on Winter 2007 tax bills. The levy will be subject to Headlee Amendment rollbacks in the future. The 0.1034 mill restoration portion of the request will raise the property tax on a $100,000 home with taxable value of $50,000 by $5.17 per year.

Emmet County residents pay a reduced tuition rate at North Central.  Fall 2006 tuition is $66.25 per credit hour for Emmet County residents.  The rate is $106.40 per credit hour for students from other Michigan counties and $133 for students from outside Michigan. 

TERMS:

MILLAGE – Property taxes are calculated in mills.  One mill = 1/1000 of a dollar. 

HEADLEE AMENDMENT – Added to the state constitution in 1978, it ties the growth of revenues from local property taxes to the rate of inflation. 

A taxing authority’s millage rate is reduced if the assessed value of total taxable property within the unit, excluding new construction and improvements, increases by more than the inflation rate.

COLLEGE FACTS:

Enrollment (05-06):  2,792

From Emmet County:   1,350

North Central is an open-door community college based in Petoskey that provides accessible, affordable, quality post-secondary education. 

BALLOT LANGUAGE:

OPERATING MILLAGE RENEWAL AND RESTORATION PROPOSAL

Shall the tax rate limit on the total amount of ad valorem taxes which may be assessed against taxable property within the North Central Michigan College district, State of Michigan, be increased by 1 mill ($1.00 per $1,000 of Taxable Valuation) for a period of ten years, the years 2007 through 2016 inclusive, to provide funds for operating purposes?  Of the 1 mill authorization, (i) 0.8966 mill represents a renewal of the existing authority previously approved by the electors, and (ii) 0.1034 mill represents a restoration of authority reduced through application of the Headlee Amendment.  If approved, this millage would raise an estimated $2,677,621 for the College in the first year it is levied.