Please Contact House Tax Policy Committee Members THIS MORNING to Support HB 4986

The Michigan Municipal League needs your help THIS MORNING to support a bill that would move the payment of a property tax credit for disabled veterans from local governments to the state. House Bill 4986 would change the current 100 percent disabled veterans’ property tax credit from a local cost to a state liability. The bill is going before the House Tax Policy committee at 10:30 a.m. today. Please contact the members of the House Tax Policy committee this morning before the hearing to encourage them to support HB 4986.

Background: The League and other local government groups have been working on this change since the law was enacted several years ago. This property tax credit for disabled veterans’ costs local governments more than $20 million a year (and growing) in local revenues. HB 4986 would have no impact on the benefit that these veterans qualify for because it simply changes who pays for it.

Here is the list of Representatives on this tax policy committee, with links to their bio pages that contains their contact information:

Jim Tedder (R) Committee Chair, 43rd District
David Maturen (R) Majority Vice-Chair, 63rd District
Martin Howrylak (R) 41st District
Eric Leutheuser (R) 58th District
Peter Lucido (R) 36th District
Hank Vaupel (R) 47th District
Steven Johnson (R) 72nd District
Bronna Kahle (R) 57th District
James Lower (R) 70th District
Wendell Byrd (D) Minority Vice-Chair, 3rd District

The League truly appreciates your prompt help this morning to support this bill.

This blog was posted by the League’s Matt Bach on behalf of the League’s Chris Hackbarth, director of state and federal affairs. Chris can be reached at chackbarth@mml.org and 517-908-0304.

Yesterday the Senate Finance Committee considered two bills that would create tax exemptions for disabled veterans.

Senate Bill 104 would allow a community to give a tax exemption to a qualified disabled veteran. This is an option for a community and not a mandate.

The committee also considered Senate Bill 352, which would specifically exempt from property taxes real property used and owned as a homestead by a disabled veteran who was discharged from the Armed Forces of the United States under honorable conditions.

The League continues to be opposed to mandatory property tax exemptions. In 2011 the legislature and administration eliminated state tax exemptions so as to not “pick winners and losers” and balance the state budget. Yet we continue to combat legislation that mandates our members give property tax exemptions for various individuals. The policy is inconsistent, and we are opposed to this piecemeal look at tax policy.

Samantha Harkins is the Director of State Affairs for the Michigan Municipal League. She can be reached at 517-908-0306 or email at sharkins@mml.org