EXAMPLE
OFFICIAL BALLOT
COUNTY OF MONTCALM, MICHIGAN
ELECTION
TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2010

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County of Montcalm

Library Millage Proposal

Shall the tax limitation imposed under Article IX, Sec. 6 of the Michigan Constitution be increased on all taxable real and tangible personal property in the County of Montcalm, in an amount not to exceed 0.5 mill ($0.50 on each $1,000.00 of taxable value) for a period of ten years, 2010 to 2019 inclusive, of which 0.4407 mill is a renewal of the millage rate that expired in 2009 and 0.0593 mill is new additional millage to restore the full amount of the previously authorized millage, for the prupose of providing funds for all library purposed authorized by law for the following public libraries located in Montcalm County: the Carson City Public Library, Flat River Community Library, Home Township Library, Reynolds Township Library, Richland Township Library, Tamarack District Library, and White Pine Library; and shall the County levy such millage for said purpose; the estimate of the revenue the County will collect if the millage is approved and levied in the 2010 calendar year is approximately $880,000.

A protion of the revenue collected may be required to be distributed to the Village of Edmore Downtown Development Authority, the Crystal Township Downtown Development Authority, the City of Greenville Local Development Financing Authority and the City of Greenville Tax Increment Finance Authority.

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All ballots seeking a millage, subject to capture by Downtown Development Authorities, must include this statement to comply with "Truth in Taxation" legislation. The library does not want to give library funds to any other group or organization, but DDAs were established under a State law and libraries located in communities with DDAs (Edmore, Crystal Township, and Greenville) are not able to avoid this capture.

Now that libraries in Montcalm County have brought to light the need for all groups to comply with "Truth in Taxation" legislation, you will see this statement on many more ballots.

The countywide millage election is for 0.5 mill over 10 years. This was the rate voters approved 20 years ago. Due to the Headlee rollback, libraries have not been collecting at the full 0.5 mill rate for several years. This proposal is seeking to restore the 0.5 mill for libraries by renewing 0.4407 mill (what the Headlee Amendment allows our library to collect) and approve 0.0593 additional mill to reach the 0.5 mill. That is 30 years at the same millage rate. Incredible!