On August 6, Isabella County voters will be deciding on whether to renew the county's operating budget or to reject it.
Much of the county's operating budget is funded by a millage, or property taxes, in the area.
The county commissioners are requesting 7.89 mills: 6.61 will go to funding the county and its services. 1 mill will go to townships within the county and .28 mills will go to the intermediate school district.
The 6.61 mills for the county services translates to around $16 million or about 66% of the county’s total budget, according to Melissa Franquist, an accountant with the county.
The money requested by this vote is a renewal of the operating budget, not an increase in millage rates. This is unlike a February millage proposal, where voters overwhelmingly rejected a 2.5 mill increase.
Tobin Hope is chairperson of the Isabella County Board of Commissioners. He said that if this millage vote does not pass, he is unsure what would happen to the county.
“We'd still be able to operate until sometime next year and then after that, it's unclear," Hope said. "There's 83 counties (in Michigan). I don't think any of their renewal for their operating mileages have ever failed, so kind of new territory.”
The millage will fund county services such as first responders, emergency management, and animal control.
Hope said that services like these would “take serious cuts” if the renewal vote did not pass.
The renewal of the operating budget is the same rate since the late 1970s.
Michigan's early voting period ends Sunday, Aug. 4.
