EDITORIAL: Imposing Property Tax Hikes Using Arcane Laws Subverts Democracy

UNDER STATE ACT 283 of 1909, a local road millage may be levied by the county board without voter approval. The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners has scheduled an Oct. 1 public meeting to hear from voters before the BOC imposes yet another property tax. According to The Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association (MITA), Washtenaw County has 989 miles of roads in poor condition—only three other counties in the state have a larger number of miles of roads in poor condition.

Of the 50 states, Michigan spends the least per capita on its roads and bridges, according to 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data. Michigan spends $174 per person annually on transportation. Illinois and Ohio each spend $235. Minnesota spends $315. The average Michigan motorist spends $357 a year on blown tires, bent rims and other repairs due to bad roads, national transportation research group TRIP estimates.

In proposing to impose yet another tax on homeowners, Washtenaw County Commissioners are behaving autocratically. Instead of making the case for a one-year tax assessment to raise $7 million for county road repair and asking for the support of their constituents, commissioners are pursuing what can only be described as the lazy course of action abetted by arcane Michigan law.

In 2009 and 2011, the County Commissioners voted to impose an Act 88 property tax assessment. They have handed the bulk of that money to Ann Arbor SPARK to fund job creation. The Commissioners never saw SPARK’s audited financial statements, or 990 income tax forms prior to or after Board members imposed that tax on county residents. It has since come to light that Ann Arbor SPARK never verifies whether promised jobs are created.

Lansing politicians have neglected to fund infrastructure maintenance. The county’s roads are in terrible shape. In response, Ann Arbor’s four  County Commissioners appear poised to support the subversion of Democracy.

County Commissioners have no business imposing taxes. County residents should be educated and then vote on taxing themselves for road repair. Dexter residents did just that recently, passing a millage in order to repair that village’s roads and crosswalks. Dexter’s elected officials, in fact, showed exactly how much can be accomplished thorough voter education and a common sense approach to local infrastructure repair. County Commissioners would do well to follow this example.