What do the 3.2-mill property levy for STARS and the 7.5 mills for public safety have in common?
This year’s strategy for both is to seek voter support for renewals of both as far ahead of time as possible, controlling the “will of the people” in the direction of approving the taxes.
- If the public says “yes,” then budgeting may proceed as usual with no further referendums.
- If citizens were to reverse past voting and suddenly say “no,” this allows the governing bodies to come back in future elections again, and again if needed, until the desired approval is attained.
That’s why STARS, Saginaw Transit Authority Regional Services, is seeking renewal of the 3.2 mills on this year’s Aug. 6 ballot, even though the millage does not expire until the close of calendar 2025.
City Council approval of the proposal language is scheduled during the next meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 22.
A similar vote-in-advance strategy took place during the February political primary election to re-ratify the 7.5 mills for police and fire.
Each 1 mill represents an assessment of $1 for every $1,000 of a property’s SEV, State Equalized Valuation, which is half the estimated sales value. If your home would sell for $50,000, your annual payment to STARS is $80 and your cost for the public safety millage is $187. If your property has a sales value of $100,000, then double those dollar figures. Costs for tenants are included in rent.
For sake of comparison, the city schools’ annual millage for Saginaw United High, the new Handley School and the relocation of SASA to the former Arthur Hill is roughly $150 for the owner of a $50,000 property, or $300 for the owner of a $100,000 home. The school tax, unlike the levies for buses and public safety, does not require five-year renewals, which is why residents still will pay the original 2005 tax for Thompson Middle and the new Loomis Elementary until the end of this decade.
City Council meetings can be viewed at saginaw-mi.com, on YouTube or on Spectrum cable Channel 191.
