Richfield residents to vote on police millage Aug. 5

By Monica Dufour
INDEX Staff Writer

RICHFIELD TWP. — With absentee ballots scheduled to begin to go out by July 1, Richfield Township Clerk Lisa Holmes would like to remind Richfield residents about the police special assessment millage on the Aug. 5 ballot.

“The millage is to replace the current special police assessment on the taxes,” she said. “It’s not in addition to. If the residents vote it down, it will remain a special assessment as it currently is,” she said.

Holmes said if the residents decide to pass the special police millage, they will be able to deduct it off their income taxes, which they can’t with the current special assessment.

Holmes said if the millage passes, the amount will not exceed 3.0 mills ($3 per $1,000 of taxable value) for a period of 10 years, beginning July 1, 2008.

She estimates the millage to bring in about $705,600. “It would raise about $28,000 more than last year,” Holmes said.

Supervisor Jim Jacques has prepared a spreadsheet based on last year’s assessments to give township residents and businesses estimates on whether they would pay more or less. “It depends on what the (state equalized) value of their home or business is. Some people’s may go down, some may go up, and some may stay the same,” he said.

Jacques said while people will be able to deduct the millage amount from their taxes, they won’t be getting that dollar amount back in their hands.

“The mobile home park (Continental North) will see a big reduction, he said. “Right now, they pay $59,432. If the mileage passes, it will decrease to $10,149,” he said. “Someone’s got to pick that up,” Jacques said.

“Voters need to decide whether it’s beneficial to them,” Jacques said.

Holmes said her personal taxes based on last year’s assessment would be about $40 more.
Residents who are interested in finding out an estimate for their property can call Jacques at 810-653-3564.