WDET is examining Michigan’s upcoming primary elections, including an issue often on the mind of voters – taxes. Several school districts in Oakland County are asking residents to approve or renew millage funding in August. WDET’s Sascha Raiyn reports.

For your reading pleasure, here is the text for each  Oakland County school millage, courtesy of the Oakland County Elections Division:

AVONDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT

REPLACEMENT AND RESTORATION OF NON-HOMESTEAD OPERATING MILLAGE

This proposal would authorize Avondale Public Schools to continue to levy up to 18.00 mills for general school district operating purposes only on non-homestead property (business, commercial, rental and seasonal homes) in the School District. Principal residences are exempt from this millage. This authorization would (i) replace an authorization previously approved by voters which expires with the School District’s 2017 tax levy; (ii) restore the authority to levy mills previously authorized which has been reduced by 0.0432 mill by application of the Headlee Amendment; and (iii) increase the prior authority by two mills. This authority would allow the School District to levy only that portion of the mills against non-homestead property required for the School District to receive revenues at the full foundation allowance permitted by the State in the event of future Headlee rollbacks. Shall the limitation on the amount of tax upon taxable property in the Avondale School District, Oakland County, Michigan be increased by 20.00 mills ($20.00 per $1,000 of taxable value) for ten (10) years, the years 2016 to 2025, inclusive, to provide funds for operating expenses of the District? If approved, this millage would raise an estimated $7,000,724 for the District in 2016. Updated: 7/19/2016 10:36 AM

REPLACEMENT SINKING FUND MILLAGE PROPOSAL

Of the 1.00 mill requested, 0.5993 mill constitutes a continuation of authority which would have expired with the 2017 levy, as reduced by operation of the Headlee amendment, and 0.4007 mill constitutes new additional millage which would restore authorization reduced by operation of the Headlee amendment. Shall the Avondale School District, Oakland County, Michigan, be authorized to levy 1.00 mill to create a sinking fund for the purpose of the construction or repair of school buildings and the improvement and development of sites and for any other purpose which may be authorized by law for the use of sinking fund proceeds, by increasing the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be imposed on taxable property in the School District for a period of ten (10) years, being the years 2016 to 2025, inclusive? It is estimated that 1.00 mill ($1.00 per $1,000 of taxable valuation) would raise approximately $905,472 in 2016. YES NO (Under state law, sinking fund proceeds may not be used to pay teacher or administrator salaries.)

BRANDON SCHOOL DISTRICT

MILLAGE PROPOSAL, BUILDING AND SITE SINKING FUND TAX LEVY

Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property in Brandon School District in the Counties of Oakland and Lapeer, Michigan, be increased by and the board of education be authorized to levy not to exceed 2 mills ($2.00 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of 2 years, 2017 and 2018, to create a sinking fund for the construction or repair of school buildings and all other purposes authorized by law; the estimate of the revenue the school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2017 is approximately $1,100,000?

CLARKSTON COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

BONDING PROPOSAL

Shall Clarkston Community Schools, Oakland County, Michigan, borrow the sum of not to exceed Seventy-Five Million Nine Hundred Eighty Thousand Dollars ($75,980,000) and issue its general obligation unlimited tax bonds therefor, for the purpose of: erecting, furnishing and equipping additions to school buildings, in part for secure entrances; remodeling, equipping and re-equipping and furnishing and re-furnishing school buildings; acquiring, installing, equipping and re-equipping school buildings for instructional technology; erecting an outdoor storage building at Clarkston High School; and preparing, developing, improving, and equipping playgrounds, athletic fields and facilities, and sites?

The following is for informational purposes only:

The estimated millage that will be levied for the proposed bonds in 2017, under current law, is 0 mill ($0.00 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation). The maximum number of years the bonds may be outstanding, exclusive of any refunding, is thirty (30) years. The estimated simple average annual millage anticipated to be required to retire this bond debt is 2.09 mills ($2.09 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation). The school district expects to borrow from the State School Bond Qualification and Loan Program to pay debt service on these bonds. The estimated total principal amount of that borrowing is $25,515,796 and the estimated total interest to be paid thereon is $29,394,271. The estimated duration of the millage levy associated with that borrowing is 19 years and the estimated computed millage rate for such levy is 7.00 mills. The estimated computed millage rate may change based on changes in certain circumstances. Updated: 7/19/2016 10:36 AM The total amount of qualified bonds currently outstanding is $121,060,000. The total amount of qualified loans currently outstanding is approximately $4,289,535. (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, or other operating expenses.)

FERNDALE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

SINKING FUND MILLAGE PROPOSAL

Shall the Ferndale Public Schools, County of Oakland, Michigan, be authorized to levy 1.30 mills ($1.30 per $1,000 of taxable valuation) to create a sinking fund for the construction or repair of school buildings, the improvement and development of sites and any other purpose permitted by law, by increasing the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be imposed on taxable property in the School District for a period of fifteen (15) years, being the years 2016 to 2030, inclusive? It is estimated that 1.30 mills ($1.30 per $1,000 of taxable valuation) would raise approximately $843,000 in the first year that it is levied. (Under state law, sinking fund proceeds may not be used to pay teacher or administrator salaries.)

GOODRICH AREA SCHOOLS

OPERATING MILLAGE RENEWAL PROPOSAL

Goodrich Area Schools’ existing authority to levy operating millage expired with the 2015 levy. This proposal will correct a technical error in the operating millage renewal proposition approved by the voters on March 8, 2016 and will allow the school district to continue to levy that millage in 2016 only in an amount not to exceed 18 mills on all property in the School District (except principal residence and other property exempted by law). The millage is required for the school district to receive its full foundation allowance per pupil. Shall the millage rate limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, in Goodrich Area Schools, Genesee, Oakland and Lapeer Counties, Michigan, be increased by 18 mills ($18.00 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) (as a renewal of previously approved millage authorization which expired with the 2015 levy) for 2016 only to allow for the continued levy of millage to provide funds for operating purposes; the estimate of the revenue the school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2016 is approximately $1,107,788? (This is a renewal of the operating millage that expired with the 2015 tax levy and does not constitute new additional millage.)

LAKE ORION COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

LAKE ORION COMMUNITY SCHOOLS COUNTY OF OAKLAND STATE OF MICHIGAN BUILDING AND SITE SINKING FUND TAX PROPOSAL

This proposal, if approved by the electors, will allow the Lake Orion Community Schools to levy a building and site sinking fund tax, the proceeds of which will be used to make improvements and repairs to the School District’s facilities. Pursuant to State Law, the expenditure of the building and site sinking fund tax proceeds must be audited, and the proceeds cannot be used for teacher, administrator or employee salaries, maintenance or other operating expenses. Updated: 7/19/2016 10:36 AM Shall the Lake Orion Community Schools be authorized to levy two (2.0) mills ($2.00 per $1,000 of taxable valuation), for a period of ten (10) years, from [July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2026], to create a building and site sinking fund to be used for the construction or repair of school buildings or any other purpose authorized under Michigan law? This millage would provide estimated revenues to the Lake Orion Community Schools of approximately [Three Million Three Hundred Ninety Thousand ($3,390,000) Dollars during the 2016 calendar year], if approved and levied.

MADISON DISTRICT PUBLIC SCHOOLS

OPERATING MILLAGE RENEWAL PROPOSAL

This proposal will allow the school district to continue to levy the statutory rate of not to exceed 18 mills on all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, required for the school district to receive its revenue per pupil foundation allowance. The remaining .9791 mill is only available to be levied to restore millage lost as a result of the reduction required by the “Headlee” amendment to the Michigan Constitution of 1963 and will only be levied to the extent necessary to restore that reduction. Shall the currently authorized millage rate limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, in Madison District Public Schools, Oakland County, Michigan, be renewed by 18.9791 mills ($18.9791 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of 5 years, 2017 to 2021, inclusive, to provide funds for operating purposes; the estimate of the revenue the school district will collect if the millage is approved and 18 mills are levied in 2017 is approximately $1,785,600 (this is a renewal of millage that will expire with the 2016 tax levy)?

SCHOOL DISTRICT OF THE CITY OF OAK PARK

SINKING FUND MILLAGE PROPOSAL

The following proposal would continue the authority (first approved by the voters in 1997, extended in 2006, expiring in 2016) for the School District to levy a sinking fund millage. This proposal would also restore the prior authorization, which was rolled back through application of the Headlee Amendment to the Michigan Constitution to 2.9592 mills, to 3.00 mills. Shall the School District of the City of Oak Park, County of Oakland, Michigan, be authorized to levy 3.00 mills to create a sinking fund for the purpose of the construction or repair of school buildings and the purchase, improvement and development of sites and, to the extent permitted by law, the purchase of school buses, furnishings and equipment, including instructional technology equipment, by increasing the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be imposed on the taxable value of taxable property in the School District for a period of twenty (20) years, being the years 2017 to 2036, inclusive? It is estimated that 3.00 mills ($3.00 mills per $1,000 of taxable valuation) would raise approximately $1,000,000 in the first year that it is levied. (Under state law, sinking fund proceeds may not be used to pay teacher or administrator salaries.)

OXFORD COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

OPERATING MILLAGE PROPOSAL

This proposal will allow the school district to levy the statutory rate of not to exceed 18 mills on all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, required for the school district to receive its revenue per pupil foundation allowance. Updated: 7/19/2016 10:36 AM Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, in Oxford Community Schools, Oakland and Lapeer Counties, Michigan, be increased by 18.4442 mills ($18.4442 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of 10 years, 2017 to 2026, inclusive, to provide funds for operating purposes (17.9442 mills of the above is a renewal of millage that will expire with the 2016 tax levy, .0558 mill is a restoration of millage lost as a result of the reduction required by the Michigan Constitution of 1963, and .4442 mill is to restore millage lost as a result of potential future reductions that may be required by the Michigan Constitution of 1963, to be levied only to the extent necessary to restore such future reductions); the estimate of the revenue the school district will collect if the millage is approved and 18 mills are levied in 2017 is approximately $5,345,514?

GENESEE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL DISTRICT

OPERATING MILLAGE PROPOSAL

Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all taxable property in Genesee Intermediate School District be increased by .25 mills ($.25 on each $1,000 of taxable value) for twenty (20) years, calendar years 2016 to 2035, inclusive, for the purpose of providing funds for lifelong education, adult education, community education, training, and enrichment, and for other operating purposes, in Genesee Intermediate School District? It is estimated that the revenue the school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2016 will be approximately $2.3 million. Revenues will be disbursed to Genesee Intermediate School District.

MOTT COMMUNITY COLLEGE

MILLAGE RENEWAL PROPOSITION

Shall the previous voted increase in the limitation on the amount of taxes that may be levied by Charles Stewart Mott Community College, Genesee County, Michigan, against all property in the community college district be renewed for a total of .6410 mill (which is equal to $.6410 per $1,000 of taxable value of real and tangible personal property), for a period of 10 years, 2018 to 2027, inclusive, to provide funds for community college purposes? If the .6410 mill increase is approved it is estimated that the college will collect approximately $5.7 million of revenue in the first calendar year it is levied. The proposed millage is a renewal of a previously authorized millage.