DIA, Jail Millage Proposals Ask Wayne County Voters to Approve 10 Years of Taxes

After Wayne County voters have nominated their picks for local, county and state offices Aug. 7, they will be asked to vote on two countywide millage proposals.

These proposals are known as Proposition J and the Wayne County Art Institute Authority millage. Proposition J–which has to do with funding for county jails–is up for a 10-year renewal, while the art institute millage is a new tax that would benefit the Detroit Institute of Arts for 10 years.

Although the top portion of the primary ballot is partisan, meaning voters must select all Republican or all Democratic candidates, the proposal section is separate. Even if a voter accidentally splits their ticket, thus invalidating the partisan portion, the proposals' section will still be counted. 

Proposition J

The millage, if passed, would support existing incarceration or detention facilities, and would fund the construction of a juvenile offender work and training facility.

Adult programs–such as work release, home detention and community restitution–would also be supported.

Cost: At .9381 mills, a taxpayer owning a home with a taxable value of $100,000 would be expected to pay approximately $94 a year. This renewal is estimated to generate at least $38,859,493 in property tax revenue in 2012.

The following language will appear on the Aug. 7 ballot:

To renew the millage authorized in 2002, shall Wayne County be authorized to continue to levy this millage at the 2011 rollback rate of .9381 mills (about 94 cents per thousand dollars of taxable valuation) for ten more years (2012 through 2021) for any of the following previously authorized uses:

To acquire, construct, and/or operate jail, misdemeanant, or juvenile incarceration or detention facilities, and for adult penalty options such as work release, home detention and community restitution; with at least one-tenth of the millage used to acquire, build and operate a juvenile offender work/training institution?

Arts Authority, or DIA Millage

Although you won’t see any reference to the “Detroit Institute of Arts” or even the word “museum” in the language of this proposal, this millage is intended to benefit the DIA.

If approved, this proposal would levy .2 mills on Wayne County taxpayers for a period of 10 years. The revenue from this millage would in turn provide financial support for the DIA.

In return, residents will receive free admission to the DIA during the 10 years the millage is in place.

Cost: At 0.2 mills, a taxpayer owning a home with a taxable value of $100,000 would be expected to pay approximately $20 a year. This tax would begin with December 2012 property tax bills and end in 2021.

This millage is expected to raise approximately $4.9 million in its first year (2012). In exchange for supporting the millage, residents and school groups from Macomb County would be allowed to visit the DIA anytime without a general admission fee.

Members of the art authority are tasked with ensuring the DIA uses the millage revenue only for museum operations. The DIA is required to submit an annual audit for this body’s review.

If passed in Wayne, Oakland Macomb counties, the millage is expected to generate $23 in revenue.

The following language will appear on the Aug. 7 ballot:

The Wayne County Art Institute Authority was established pursuant to Public Act 296 of 2010 and formed to allow for continuing support of art institute services for the students, residents and visitors of Macomb County. The law allows the Authority to seek authorization from the electors to levy a tax of not more than 0.2 mill (20 cents per $1,000 of taxable value) on real and personal property to provide revenue to an art institute services provider for this purpose. Accordingly, to continue providing art institute services to benefit the residents of the County, shall a 0.2 mill on all of the taxable property located within the County be imposed for a period of ten (10) years, being years 2012 through 2021? It is estimated that if approved and levied, this new millage would generate approximately $ 4,877,863.36 in 2012.

Review your sample ballot on the Wayne County Clerk's website.