The election results for the various Oakland County communities’ tax and millage proposals on the August 7th ballot was interesting to me. First, there were two county-wide proposals that were approved, both by a 2 to 1 margin or more. The property tax increase earmarked for the DIA passed easily, and the renewal of a millage for the county’s public transportation system won by even more.
In several communities, millage increase proposals were approved, including a proposal to override the Headlee Amendment limits in Berkley, which passed handily. While many of these proposals were for essential local services such as police, fire, and emergency services (see Highland Township, Independence Township, and Orion Township), voters in other communities also approved increases for quality of life amenities, such as support for public libraries (Brandon Township) and parks and recreation (West Bloomfield Township), in addition to approval of support for the DIA.
This was a bit of a surprise to me, because we have tended to have seen a serious low/no tax voter mood over the past 20-30 years. Moreover, Michigan’s economy over the past six years has hit many southeast Michigan families very hard. In the face of all of that, most of the millage increases/renewals were approved by voters in Oakland County.
My only explanation (without knowing the specific merits of each proposal) is that wealthier people with more formal education are more likely to support such proposals AND be a larger proportion of a primary election voting population, compared to a general election. As such, it is maybe a little easier to understand the results that we saw in many communities. Perhaps this was also a sign that Michigan’s economy is improving and more family members have found jobs?
John Klemanski
In several communities, millage increase proposals were approved, including a proposal to override the Headlee Amendment limits in Berkley, which passed handily. While many of these proposals were for essential local services such as police, fire, and emergency services (see Highland Township, Independence Township, and Orion Township), voters in other communities also approved increases for quality of life amenities, such as support for public libraries (Brandon Township) and parks and recreation (West Bloomfield Township), in addition to approval of support for the DIA.
This was a bit of a surprise to me, because we have tended to have seen a serious low/no tax voter mood over the past 20-30 years. Moreover, Michigan’s economy over the past six years has hit many southeast Michigan families very hard. In the face of all of that, most of the millage increases/renewals were approved by voters in Oakland County.
My only explanation (without knowing the specific merits of each proposal) is that wealthier people with more formal education are more likely to support such proposals AND be a larger proportion of a primary election voting population, compared to a general election. As such, it is maybe a little easier to understand the results that we saw in many communities. Perhaps this was also a sign that Michigan’s economy is improving and more family members have found jobs?
John Klemanski
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