Light August Election Features 96 Local Money-Ask Questions

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 08/01/2025) A total of 96 local money-related ballot proposals will be in front of voters on Tuesday, with the biggest asks coming out of three Metro Detroit communities.

Romulus Community Schools has the biggest ask, a $153 million bond, followed by bonding requests in Livonia and Novi to replace firehouses at $150 and $120 million a piece.

Since August 2017, odd-year elections have been light for money-related local ballot proposals, with 71 in 2023, 63 in 2021, 104 in 2019 and 112 in 2017. However, between 85 and 90 percent of local, odd-year August money requests have passed.

Of the 96 questions, 27 deal with schools, 20 with fire departments and 10 with roads.

Tuesday's election does contain two oddities -- millage decreases in both Allegan and Houghton counties.

Houghton County is looking to drop their 2.5-mill tax rate to a 2.1-mill tax rate, which 1 mill is equal to $1 for every $1,000 a piece of property is worth. The drop would come from funding that pays for a community medical facility.

Laketown Township, in Allegan County, was looking to drop their 2-mill tax rate for road maintenance to a 1.5-mill tax rate in order to give a .5-mill increase for the township's fire department. A township in nearby Van Buren County succeeded in passing a similar tax decrease-increase swap in 2024.

Of the 96 requests, 18 are bonding issues. Elk Rapids and Galesburg-Charleston Township Memorial want money for libraries. Houghton wants $32 million for a new county jail. Folks in Meridian Township in Ingham County want a $19.4 million bond to build a senior center. The rest of the bonding issues are school-related.

The 11 millage increases were worth more than $14.5 million with the largest funding ask coming from the Muskegon Area District Library, who would raise $6.3 million off the increase. The next biggest funding increase would come from Grand Blanc Township, which was looking to raise more than $1.9 million for parks and recreation in the township. There was also a renewal for a community college in Dickinson County.

The 30 millage renewals in the state were even, with no area taking a large percentage. Fire had the most with 23 percent. And schools with 20 percent. Schools contained the largest renewal with Delton Kellogg Schools in Barry County asking for a $4.25 million renewal.

Millage restorations because of having the area property taxes reduced by the Headlee Amendment made up 28 of the total local ballot measures. The largest millage restoration was coming from Ypsilanti Township that would raise nearly $10.64 million for the local police. Fire departments made up 25 percent of the renewals, while schools and roads each made up nearly 18 percent.

There were also four sinking fund millages for schools with the largest ask of nearly $4.2 million coming from Northville Public Schools in Wayne County.

There were also six local proposals, that brought the total number of local props up to 102 in total. Menominee is looking to allow nine recreational marijuana retailers to the city.

Grattan Township was looking to rezone some agricultural area into residential and Lansing Township was looking to extend the Lansing electric utility for 30 years.