Last week, I introduced one bill in a package of two that would help communities, counties and schools across our state that are struggling to fund essential services due to depressed property values. In Michigan, we rely heavily on property taxes to fund schools, counties and local governments. This works very well in communities, counties and school districts where land values are high, but is failing over two-thirds of our communities, counties and school districts where land values are low.
 

Under this program, counties, cities, townships, villages and school districts would receive matching grants to raise their millage revenue up to the statewide average in taxable value per capita. The legislation fills that gap between the revenue the local millage generates and the revenue that would be generated if the community’s tax base were the statewide average. The legislation is designed to start as a pilot where school districts, counties and local units of government can receive grant revenue toward two mills of property taxes they are levying that are dedicated to eligible purposes