by Graham Sturgeon, co-editor
Most Shiawassee County voters will be asked to decide a local ballot question on the Aug. 7 primary election ballot, with public transportation proposals to be included on ballots in the cities of Corunna, Durand and Owosso, and the townships of Bennington and Caledonia; a proposal for ambulance services in Hazelton Township; fire equipment and services proposals in Burns and Vernon townships; an Owosso Public Schools Sinking Fund Renewal; and a Shiawassee RESD Special Education proposal.
Individual Township and school district ballot proposals include:
• Hazelton Township is proposing to asses each residence in the township $100 per year for six years, from Dec. 1, 2018 through Nov. 30, 2024, to provide its residents with ambulance services through Twin Township Ambulance, Inc.
• Burns Township’s Fire Equipment Millage Renewal proposes to reset and renew a levy of .50 mills ($.50 per $1,000 of taxable value) for three additional years, from 2019 through 2021, inclusive. The millage would raise an estimated $46,690 in the first year, if approved.
Burns Township’s Fire Services Millage Renewal proposes to reset and renew a levy of 1.0 mills ($1.0 per $1,000 of taxable value) for three additional years, from 2019 through 2021, inclusive, raising an estimated $93,381 in the first year, if levied.
• The Owosso Public Schools Sinking Fund Renewal Proposal will allow the school district to continue to levy a portion of the building and site sinking fund millage that expires with the 2018 tax levy. Approval of the proposed renewal would authorize a levy of 2 mills ($2 per $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of five years, from 2019 through 2023, inclusive, which is a reduction from the 3 mills the school district is currently authorized to levy. The school district would collect an estimated $1,071,555 in 2019, if the proposal is approved.
• The Shiawassee Regional Education Service District Special Education Millage Proposal (Restoration of Headlee Reduction), if approved, would allow the intermediate school district (Shiawassee RESD) to levy the pre-Headlee Reduction level of 4.2330 mills, which was previously approved by the electors, for 20 years, from 2018 through 2037, inclusive. The Shiawassee RESD would collect an estimated $1,143,051 in 2018, if the proposal is approved.
Look for further pre-election information in the Aug. 5 edition of The Independent.
