Roscommon County Commissioners say they can no longer pay for the maintenance of county lakes. That means the county will work directly with the property owners on Houghton Lake, Higgins Lake and Lake Saint Helen to reach a tax agreement to fund maintenance of the lake’s water levels.
Attorney Stacey Hissong of the Michigan Association of County Drain Commissioners made an appearance recently at an online public hearing. She assured residents that any increase in taxes would only pay for the maintenance of the water levels.
“It is not based on a taxable value, it is not used for weed control, sanitary sewer or other activities. It is only for the lake level. It is not used to fund other lakes or other county activities. It is not an open checkbook,” Hissong said.
Hissong also reiterated that there were no special assessments planned for 2023 but that setting up “special assessment district” boundaries were necessary to get funds from the state in the future.
“This is one of the very few statutes in the state of Michigan where counties can actually levy assessments to the DNR,” she explained.
In a released statement, Roscommon County Board of Commissioners Chair David Russo and the delegated authority, Jodi Valentino also added that:
• The assessment is based on “benefit” to the property owner. Properties that “benefit” from the lakes have lake level access, meaning they are either located on the lakeshore, a backlot or tributary.
• Almost every county that has legal lake levels in Michigan also has a SAD for each lake.
• Townships are also included in the SAD.
• For Higgins and Houghton Lakes, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) is the largest property owner and without a SAD, we cannot assess it. It is likely that the MDNR will have a larger assessment than any other entity on these lakes.
