What's on the ballot in Independence Township, Oakland County

In 2008 and 2016, pursuant to Public Act 49 of 2008, Oakland County voters renewed a 10-year property tax millage to fund zoological services through the Oakland County Zoological Authority, supporting animal care for more than 2,000 animals and 200 species, educational and senior programs, and facility maintenance at the Detroit Zoo. To continue providing these services, the Authority seeks to renew and restore the millage to the original voter-approved rate of 0.10 mill (10 cents per $1,000 of taxable value). This proposal would renew the millage at 0.0927 mill and restore the remaining 0.0073 mill that was reduced due to required rollback, for a total authorized rate of 0.10 mill on taxable real and personal property for ten (10) years. If approved, the millage rate would be unchanged from those approved by voters in 2008 and 2016. Funds will be disbursed to the Authority and transferred to the Detroit Zoo as permitted by law. All funds are subject to annual independent audits. It is estimated that $8,831,012 will be collected in the first year. Ballot Question: Do you approve the renewal and restoration of the levy of 0.10 mill on all taxable property in Oakland County for a period of ten (10) years, from 2028 through 2037?

The Southeast Michigan Public Historical Museum Authority (“Authority”) is a joint authority established by Wayne and Oakland Counties (“Counties”) pursuant to Michigan Public Act 321 of the Public Acts of 2000, as amended, and was formed to support the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Detroit Historical Museum, Dossin Great Lakes Museum, and other public historical museums located in Wayne and Oakland Counties (“Historical Museums”) that provide historical museum services for students, residents and visitors of the Counties. The law allows the Authority to seek authorization from the electors in each of the Counties to levy a tax of 0.2 mill (20 cents per $1,000 of taxable value) on taxable property to provide revenue for Historical Museums. It is estimated that if approved and levied, this new millage on all taxable property located within Oakland County would generate approximately $17,733,800 in 2026. In addition to supporting the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Detroit Historical Museum, and Dossin Great Lakes Museum, 15% of revenues received by the Authority from taxable property in Oakland County, after Authority administrative expenses, will be disbursed to the County of Oakland for the purposes of supporting Historical Museums in Oakland County. Shall a 0.2 mill tax on all taxable property located within Oakland County be imposed by the Authority for a period of ten (10) years, being years 2026 through 2035, inclusive, to provide historical museum services for the benefit of the residents of the Counties?

Shall the expired Police Operating Millage, which at the time of expiration in December 2025 had been reduced by the required millage rollbacks to 2.8282 mills ($2.82 per $1,000 of taxable value), be replaced by a new additional millage of up to 3.2 mills ($3.20 per $1,000 of taxable value), for a period of four (4) years, starting December 2026 through December 2029, inclusive, for the purpose of continuing to provide police protection and law enforcement services within the Township, which may include funding for related operating, personnel, capital expenditures and School Resource Officers? If approved and levied in full, this millage would raise an estimated $7,781,495.86 in the first year of levy. As required and determined by law, a small portion of the total millage revenue will be captured and disbursed to the Independence Township Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and Corridor Improvement Authority (CIA). The total capture by the DDA and CIA is collected solely from properties located within the DDA and CIA boundaries, respectively.

County of Oakland State of Michigan Shall the Lake Orion Community Schools, County of Oakland, State of Michigan, borrow the sum of not to exceed One Hundred Fifteen Million Nine Hundred Eighty-Five Thousand Dollars ($115,985,000) and issue its general obligation unlimited tax bonds, in one or more series, to pay the cost of the following projects for the purpose of creating a modern, safe and healthy learning environment for students: - Equipping school buildings for safety and security, including security doors, backup generators and access controls; - Remodeling, equipping, re-equipping, furnishing, re-furnishing school buildings and other facilities, including improving infrastructure, roofs and heating, plumbing, and electrical systems; - Erecting and completing additions to school buildings and other facilities which include additions for special education programs and an addition at the High School for robotics, career tech and trades education; - Acquiring and installing instructional technology infrastructure and equipment in school buildings and other facilities; and - Preparing, developing and improving sites at school buildings and other facilities and the purchase of school buses? The annual debt millage required to retire all bonds of the School District currently outstanding and proposed pursuant to this ballot is expected to be at or below 7.00 mills which is a 0 mill increase from the annual debt millage levied in 2026. The maximum number of years any series of bonds may be outstanding, exclusive of refunding, is not more than twenty (20) years; the estimated millage that will be levied to pay the proposed bonds in the first year is 1.74 mills (which is equal to $1.74 per $1,000 of taxable value); and the estimated simple average annual millage that will be required to retire each series of bonds is 2.06 mills annually ($2.06 per $1,000 of taxable value). If approved by the voters, the bonds will be guaranteed by the State under the School Bond Qualification and Loan Program (the “Program”). The School District currently has $129,685,000 of qualified bonds outstanding and $0 of qualified loans outstanding under the Program. The School District does not expect to borrow from the Program to pay debt service on these bonds. The estimated computed millage rate required to be levied to pay the proposed bonds may change in the future based on changes in certain circumstances. (Pursuant to State law, expenditure of bond proceeds must be audited, and the proceeds cannot be used for teacher, administrator or employee salaries, repair or maintenance costs or other operating expenses.)

This proposal would replace, restore and extend the authority of the School District to levy the statutory limit of 18 mills on non-homestead property (principally industrial and commercial real property and residential rental property) which currently expires with the School District’s 2033 tax levy and allow the School District to continue to levy the statutory limit of 18 mills on non-homestead property in the event of future Headlee rollbacks of up to 4 mills. The authorization will allow the School District to continue to receive revenues at the full per pupil foundation allowance permitted by the State. Personal residences are exempt from this levy. Shall the limitation on the total amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property, except principal residences and other property exempted by law, situated within the Waterford School District, County of Oakland, State of Michigan, be increased to the amount of 22 mills with 18 mills being the maximum allowable levy ($18.00 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation), for a period of ten (10) years, 2026 to 2035 inclusive, with 17.6749 mills of the above 22 mills being a replacement of the authorized operating millage which will otherwise expire on December 31, 2033 and 0.3251 mills of the above 22 mills being a restoration of the millage lost as a result of the reduction required by the Michigan Constitution? This operating millage if approved and levied, would provide estimated revenues to the School District of $17,701,778 during the 2026 calendar year, to be used for general operating purposes.