Michigan Downtown Association to hold Workshop February 27

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The Michigan Downtown Association’s (MDA) first workshop of 2014, “DDA’s – One of the Original Placemakers – Controlling Our Own Destiny,” is on Feb. 27 at the Radisson Hotel in Lansing.  MDA members may begin reserving rooms at the Radisson Hotel Lansing at the Capitol for a special rate of $118.95. Overnight parking is only $5. Visit http://www.radisson.com/lansing-hotel-mi-48933/lansing or call 517.482.0188 and mention group code 1402MIDOAS.

For questions or more information, contact the MDA at info@michigandowntowns.com or call 248-838-9711.

Nikki Brown is a legislative associate for the League handling economic development and land use issues.  She can be reached at nbrown@mml.org or 517-908-0305.

New Millage Election Limitation Bill Hearing Next Week

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HB 4887, a bill limiting when new millages can be placed on local ballots, will likely see another committee hearing next week with the potential of being voted on as well. A big thank you to all of you who responded to the action alert and contacted your legislator and those on the Ethics and Elections Committee! Your participation is greatly appreciated.

HB 4887 (Rep. Dan Lauwers) is among a package of bills (including HB 5115-5116 dealing with schools sponsored by Rep. Lisa Posthumus Lyons) and would only allow local municipalities to place new millages on the ballot for the August regular election date or the November regular election date (straight renewals can be done at any of the four election dates).  The argument of the bill sponsor is there is greater voter turnout in the August and November elections so new millages should only be allowed to be voted on during those times. The introduced version of the legislation only allowed a millage to be placed on the ballot for the November General Election but a substitute changing it to each August and November election was adopted.

Nikki Brown is a legislative associate for the League handling economic development and land use issues.  She can be reached at nbrown@mml.org or 517-908-0305.

Congress Inching Closer to Self-Imposed Budget Deadline

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Some optimism is coming out of Washington DC that House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Senate Budget Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-WA) are making progress on talks to negotiate federal budget changes before their self-imposed December 13th deadline. If nothing changes, a new set of sequestration cuts to the tune of $91 billion will go into effect in early January 2014. As of right now there are no indications that eliminating the exemption on municipal bonds will be part of this budget/tax reform package being discussed. However, nothing is certain, so we will continue to monitor that issue closely.

Summer Minnick is the Director of Policy Initiatives and Federal Affairs. She can be reached at 517-908-0301 or sminnick@mml.org

Legislature Out for In District Work Period and Thanksgiving

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The legislature has been out the last two weeks in November for their in district work period and the Thanksgiving holiday.  They will be back in session beginning the week of December 2.  We expect two final weeks of legislative session before they break for the holidays.

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

Problematic Local Option Tax Exemption for School Properties on Senate Floor

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Contact your Senator to voice concerns regarding House Bill 4121, a bill that as passed would allow local units of government to exempt property purchased from a school district from real property taxes for five years.

The legislation would automatically exempt these properties unless the local unit of government passes a resolution to place them back on the tax rolls within 60 days of the effective date of the legislation.  As a result if a local unit does not specifically pass that resolution, any school property sold in your community would automatically be off the tax rolls.

Contact your Senator to let them know how this legislation would negatively impact your community!

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

Application Period Extended for Competitive Grant Assistance Program

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The application period for the first round of the Competitive Grant Assistance Program for Fiscal Year 2014 has been extended.  Applications will now be accepted through January 24, 2014.

Visit the Department of Treasury’s website for more information.

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

House Considers Legislation Decreasing Interest on County Chargebacks

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Last week the House Local Government Committee heard testimony on HB 5074, a bill that would change the monthly interest rate that a county treasurer can charge other taxable units in the county that have delinquent property taxes due. The current monthly rate of interest is one percent. Under the bill, the monthly rate of interest would be “up to” one percent.
Under Michigan’s tax reversion process, county treasurers can assess “chargebacks” under the protocol they follow when local units of government have borrowed from a county’s delinquent tax revolving fund. If summer and winter property taxes are not collected by March 1 of the following year that the tax is owed, local treasurers pass on notices of unpaid or delinquent taxes to county treasurers. In many counties, the county treasurer runs a delinquent tax revolving fund.
Upon receiving the notices of unpaid taxes, the county treasurer advances funds to those
local governments that are owed taxes, making them financially whole at that time with
the understanding that local treasurers will pay back the advance, either after the taxes in
arrears are paid by the property owners, or after the property is sold at a public auction. Under state statute, county treasurers charge a monthly interest rate of 1 percent for advancing the money to make the local unit of government whole.  This legislation would give the county discretion to charge “up to” one percent.
The committee did not vote on the legislation.
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

House Considers Legislation Eliminating Printed Copies of Tax Rolls

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Last week the House Local Government Committee heard testimony on HB 5102, a bill that would eliminate the requirement that county treasurers make a printed copy of the tax rolls available for inspection, if the tax roll is maintained on a computerized database.
Now under the law, the State Tax Commission must authorize the use of a computerized
data base system as the tax roll if the local tax collecting unit or the county treasurer
demonstrates that the proposed system has the capacity to enable compliance with nine state requirements. House Bill 5102 would eliminate in their entirety the four requirements for printed copies to be available of (1) the “original pre-collection tax roll,” (2) a separate printout of “all parcel splits and combinations,” (3) a separate computer printout of all corrections and adjustments to the pre-collection tax roll authorized the by the board of review,” and (4) the requirement to make available “a posted computer printed tax roll.”
The committee did not vote on the legislation, and we anticipate another committee hearing on the bill.

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

Fenton Mayor Pro Tem, Patricia Lockwood, Elected to National League of Cities Board of Directors

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Patricia Lockwood

Patricia Lockwood, Mayor Pro Tem of Fenton, was elected to the National League of Cities Board of Directors over the weekend at their Congress of Cities and Exposition in Seattle, Washington.

Mayor Pro Tem Lockwood was selected from a large candidate pool and will serve two years as Board member.

She is also a past president of the Michigan Municipal League Board of Trustees (1994-95) and an honorary life member.

Congratulations to Pat!

Read more here about the NLC conference in a blog by League CEO and Executive Director Dan Gilmartin.

Summer Minnick is the Director of Policy Initiatives and Federal Affairs. She can be reached at 517-908-0301 or sminnick@mml.org.

House Passes Firefighter Bargaining Preemption

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Yesterday the House passed House Bill 4624, a bill that would make a full-time firefighter’s ability to work as a firefighter in another community a prohibited subject of bargaining.The legislation is supported by the fire chiefs and the Michigan Townships Association.

The League is opposed to this legislation as it violates local control in the bargaining process. The legislation now heads to the Senate for consideration.

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