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Benzie County - Voter Resources

Ballot Language for November 2007 General Election

Benzie County - Millage Proposition for Local Road Preservation
Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be imposed against all property in Benzie County, Michigan be increased by .75 mills ($.75 per $1,000.00 of taxable value ) and be levied for a period of six (6) years, 2007-2012 inclusive for road purposes within the incorporated cities and villages in Benzie County, Michigan and to improve, repair and maintain existing local roads within townships in Benzie County, Michigan with the money to be collected and distributed in accordance with all applicable statues, thereby raising in the first year an estimated $753,411.04?

Benzie County - Commission on Aging Millage Renewal Question
For the purpose of continuing to provide funds for operating the Commission on Aging at the same millage level approved by the voters in 2002, shall the previously voted increase in the tax limitation on general ad valorem taxes within the County of Benzie imposed under Article IX, Sec. 6 of the Michigan Constitution be renewed at 0.5955 of one (1) mill, and shall the previously authorized reduced millage of 0.0645 of one (1) mill be restored, for a return to the previously voted total limitation increase of 0.6600 mill ($0.6600 per $1,000 of Taxable Value), for a period of five (5) years (2007 – 2011) inclusive?

(If approved and levied in full, this millage will raise an estimated $661,052.49 for providing funds for operating the Commission on Aging in the first calendar year of the levy based on taxable value.)

Benzie County Medical Care Facility (The Maples) - Millage Renewal Question
For the purpose of continuing to provide funds for operating the Benzie County Medical Care Facility (The Maples) at the same millage level approved by the voters in 2002, shall the previously voted increase in the tax limitation on general ad valorem taxes within the County of Benzie imposed under Article IX, Sec. 6 of the Michigan Constitution be renewed at 0.9027 of one (1) mill, and shall the previously authorized reduced millage of 0.0973 of one (1) mill be restored, for a return to the previously voted total limitation increase of one (1.000) mill ($1.0000 per $1,000 of Taxable Value), for a period of five (5) years (2007 – 2011) inclusive?

(If approved and levied in full, this millage will raise an estimated $1,001,594.68 for providing funds for operating the Benzie County Medical Care Facility (The Maples) in the first calendar year of the levy based on taxable value.)

Benzonia Township - Bond Proposal
Shall the Township of Benzonia, Benzie County, Michigan,  borrow the sum of not to exceed One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) and issue its general obligation bonds therefore for the purpose of erecting and furnishing fire station facilities and making improvements to the site thereof?  The maximum number of years the bond may be outstanding, exclusive of refunding, is 30 years; the estimated millage that will be levied to pay the proposed bonds in the first year that the levy is authorized is .3519 mills (which is equal to 35.19 cents per $1,000 of taxable value of real and tangible personal property in the Township); and the estimated simple average annual millage that will be required to tire the bonds is .3144 mills. 

Gilmore Township - Library Millage Proposal
Shall the Township of Gilmore, Benzie County, Michigan, impose an increase in an amount not to exceed .75 mill ($.75 on each $1,000 of taxable value) in the tax limitation imposed under Article IX, Sec. 6 of the Michigan Constitution against all taxable real and tangible personal property in the Township for a period of four (4) years, 2009 to 2012, inclusive, for the purpose of providing library service to the Township from the Benzie Shores District Library and for all other library purposes authorized by law; and shall the Township levy such additional new millage for said purpose; the estimate of the revenue the Township will collect if the millage is approved and levied by the Township in the 2009 calendar year is approximately $27,000? A portion of the revenue may be required to be distributed to the Village of Elberta Brownfield Redevelopment Authority.

Traverse City Area Public Schools - Bonding Proposal
Shall Traverse City Area Public Schools, Grand Traverse, Leelanau and Benzie Counties, Michigan, borrow the sum of not to exceed One Hundred Five Million Dollars ($105,000, 000) and issue its general obligation unlimited tax bonds therefore, for the purpose of:

Erecting, furnishing and equipping an addition or additions to and/or remodeling, refurnishing, equipping and re-equipping existing school facilities; erecting, furnishing and equipping elementary facilities; acquiring land; developing and equipping improvements to playgrounds, outdoor physical education and athletic facilities; acquiring, installing, equipping and re-equipping school facilities for educational technology improvements; purchasing buses and developing and improving sites?

The following is for information purposes only: It is anticipated that the bonds will be issued in series. The estimated millage that will be levied for the first series of bonds in 2008 will be .36 mill ($0.36 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation). There will be no increase over the 2007 debt levy, due to a reduction in the existing debt levy. The maximum number of years each series of bonds may be outstanding, exclusive of any refunding, will not exceed ten (10) years from the issuance date of each series. The estimated simple average annual millage anticipated to be required to retire the total series of this bond proposal is 1.22 mills ($1.22 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation).

(Pursuant to State law, expenditure of bond proceeds must be audited, and the proceeds cannot be used for repair or maintenance costs, teacher, administrator or employee salaries/benefits, or other operating expenses.)